PM Sharif not disqualified, Supreme Court establishes JIT to probe money trail
Supreme Court has just announced its verdict on the much-awaited verdict of Panama Papers Case against the ruling Sharif Family.
A Joint Investigation Team (JIT) will be investigating the case and the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will be required to present before the team. The court has ordered the setting up of a joint investigation team which has to submit its report in 60 days.
The JIT will include officials from State Bank of Pakistan and ISPR. It will have the final say on whether Mr. Nawaz Sharif can continue on as the PM of Pakistan or not.
“A thorough investigation is required,” Justice Asif Saeed Khosa said, announcing the highly anticipated decision following a months-long hearing that linked PM Sharif´s children to offshore businesses.
The final verdict was split 3-2 among the bench, with two dissenting notes in the judgement by Justice Asif Saeed Khosa and Justice Gulzar Ahmed. The two judges ruled against PM Nawaz Sharif, saying he should be disqualified, whereas the other three were in favour of forming a JIT.
A five-judge bench, comprising Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, Justice Gulzar Ahmed, Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan, Justice Azmat Saeed and Justice Ijazul Ahsan, had examined arguments presented by the PTI, the Jamaat-i-Islami (JI), the Watan Party and the All Pakistan Muslim League, who framed the case out of court as a campaign against corruption.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Nawaz, retired Capt Muhammad Safdar (the PM’s son-in-law) and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar were the respondents in the case.
PM Sharif celebrates decision
The ruling Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) called the Supreme Court verdict a victory for the party.
Maryam Nawaz, the prime minister’s daughter, tweeted photographs of Sharif in a celebratory mood with his family, embracing his brother Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif.Another picture showed the prime minister with Shahbaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam, Senator Pervaiz Rashid, and other senior PML-N leaders.
Celebrations pic.twitter.com/CmtquN5KeT
— Maryam Nawaz Sharif (@MaryamNSharif) April 20, 2017