ISLAMABAD: The war of words between the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf over Panamagate intensified on Saturday, following the chief justice’s refusal to constitute a judicial commission on the government’s request and the revelation that the PTI chief also owned an offshore company.

Information Minister Pervaiz Rasheed lashed out at PTI chairman Imran Khan following the latter’s admission that he had formed an offshore company to evade British taxes for the purchase of his London flat.

The minister alleged that PTI members topped the list of those who owned offshore companies, claiming that Mr Khan’s sister also owned an offshore company.

“If you look at the record, it is clear that PTI lawmakers have the highest number of offshore companies when compared to lawmakers from other political parties,” the minister said, adding that no PML-N lawmakers owned offshore companies.

Bilawal says Imran ‘lost moral high ground’ after offshore company revelation, wants PPP to lead anti-govt push over Panamagate

Minutes after the information minister’s presser, PTI spokesperson Naeemul Haq, at a news conference, challenged the minister to take action against the PTI members within 48 hours.

Calling Imran Khan a “pioneer of offshore companies”, the information minister had expressed his surprise over how Mr Khan had forgotten that he also owned an offshore company once.

It seems that the former cricketer had a “weak memory”, he said.

He said the PTI chairman had been stating that people formed offshore companies only to evade taxes and for money laundering. If so, he said, then all those whose names had appeared in the Panama Papers were tax evaders and money launderers.

He said that there were six PTI people, including Imran Khan, Jahangir Tareen and Aleem Khan, who had connections with offshore companies.

On what basis, he asked, Mr Khan wanted to hold the prime minister accountable first. He said the people of Pakistan also had questions for Mr Khan and he would have to answer them before both parliament and the nation.

After admitting to the crime, he said, Mr Khan had no moral ground to criticise others.

On the other hand, Naeemul Haq said that if, as the minister claimed, PTI members had violated the law, then he should take action against them.

He said the PTI chief had not violated any law of the country. “Why are you raising a hue and cry when Imran Khan has not violated any law? And if he has violated any law, then why are you holding a press conference instead of taking legal action,” the PTI leader asked, adding that ministers were paid from the national exchequer to enforce laws.

Mr Haq said the PTI chief had bought the flat with the money he had earned playing county cricket. Later in 2003, he said, Mr Khan sold the flat and brought the money back to Pakistan through legal channels. He said that more details about Mr Khan’s flat would be made public on Monday.

Defending Mr Khan, he said the offshore company was closed down after the PTI chief sold his London property. “Mr Khan has come clean and now it is prime minister’s turn to do the same.”

“I was already paying 35 per cent tax on my income there, so to evade further taxes, I bought the flat through an offshore firm, which was my right as I was not a British citizen,” Mr Khan had reportedly told reporters in London on Friday.

Zulqernain Tahir adds from Lahore: Pak­is­tan Peoples Party chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari instructed his party’s leaders on Saturday not to give PML-N any space over the scandal.

Meeting with the party leaders from Punjab at Bilawal House, he asked them to step up the pressure on Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to clarify his position over Panamagate before parliament.

“The PPP must act as a strong opposition and [should not give] the ruling party any space over the issue,” a senior leader quoted Mr Bilawal as saying.

The meeting also discussed the revelation of PTI chairman Imran Khan’s offshore company. “Take the driver’s seat on the Panama Papers issue as Mr Khan has lost the moral [high] ground on the issue,” Mr Bhutto-Zardari said, adding that the PPP should now spearhead the movement to press the government for accountability over the matter.

He also asked former prime minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf and former Punjab governor Makhdoom Ahmed Mahmood to give their recommendations for the party’s reorganisation in Punjab.

Published in Dawn, May 15th, 2016