Minister For Law And Justice Zahid Hamid Said That The Main

(UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 2nd September, 2016) National Assembly was to ensure across the board accountability of the corrupt. He said executive authorities of the country including provincial governments had been compelled in the bill to help commission in discharging its functions.

Criticizing opposition's bill, recently moved in the Senate, he said the opposition wanted accountability of only the prime minister. Highlighting salient features of Pakistan Commission of Inquiry Bill 2016, he said the commission would have powers mentioned in 1956 Act, including powers of a civil court under the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908; powers to authorize entry, search and seizure; powers to order police investigation and power to punish for contempt, etc.

The commission has been delegated enhanced powers including powers to constitute international teams, seek international teams, and seek international co-operation from foreign countries or agencies to get information, documents and evidence etc, power to issue letters of request to foreign judicial authorities for recording evidence and such other powers deemed necessary for conducting the inquiry.

The final or interim reports of the Commission would be made public, he added.

Minister for Ports and Shipping Mir Hasil Khan Bazinjo said the government's committee on Terms of Reference (ToR) was trying its best to unanimously bring a law for constituting a commission on Panama leaks to look after all the matters.

Hasil Khan said that the opposition committee was not serious from the very beginning and targeting only one person. He said that the ToRs committee of opposition parties was only focusing on the Panama leaks and not corruption and the persons who looted the country through various means.

Minister for Housing and Works Akram Khan Durrani said that ToR committee of opposition parties had given different statements of the meeting with the government committee. "The opposition parties were not united on the ToR," the minister remarked.

He said that the media and nation were clear about the stance of the government and opposition parties on the investigation of Panama papers. The minister said the opposition parties were only targeting the prime minister and left the persons who had written off their loans and looted the country. APP/sra-szm-asg-zk/ati/azm