Pakistan SC disqualifies Sharif, forces his exit

It is the third time that the 67-year-old veteran politician's term as premier has been cut short. The much- awaited verdict plunged Pakistan into a political crisis at a time when the country is facing a brittle economy and a surge in militancy.

As the unanimous verdict by the five-judge bench was read out by Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan inside the packed courtroom 1 of the Supreme Court, a large number of opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf workers celebrated outside chanting the slogan, 'Go, Nawaz, Go'.

The court disqualified Sharif under Article 62 and 63 of Pakistan's Constitution. The articles state that a member of Parliament should be "truthful" and "righteous".

"He is disqualified as a member of the parliament so he has ceased to be holding the office of Prime Minister," Justice Khan said. The court ordered the Election Commission to issue a notification for Sharif's disqualification.

Following the order, the Election Commission de-notified Sharif from NA-120 constituency (in Lahore).

The federal Cabinet also stands dissolved.

Though there was no official announcement, PML-N sources said Shahbaz Sharif, the younger brother of Nawaz, was most likely to succeed him as Prime Minister after the court verdict.

However, a name has not been announced for the interim prime minister, who will fill the 45-day vacuum until Shahbaz, 65, is elected to a National Assembly seat.

Following the court verdict, a spokesperson of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) said in a statement that Sharif had stepped down as the Prime Minister.

The court also ordered a criminal investigation into the assets of Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Sharif's trusted aide, and Captain Muhammad Safdar, who is Sharif's son-in-law and a Member of National Assembly (MNA). Earlier, media reports in Pakistan had said that they had been disqualified.