Imran to boycott Panamagate panel, hearing adjourned till Jan

The differences over formation of a probe commission took centre stage at a hearing into the ‘Panamagate’ case in the Supreme Court on Friday with Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf saying it will boycott such a panel and PM Nawaz Sharif’s family agreeing to it.

The Supreme Court adjourned the hearing in the case till first week of January as differences over formation of a probe commission dominated the proceedings.

A five-judge larger bench is hearing the Panamagate case after Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and four other petitioners approached the apex court, alleging that ill-gotten money was used by Sharif’s family to buy flats in London, which were run through offshore companies as shown in Panama papers leak.

The court sought opinion about setting up an independent commission as it said that the evidence presented by the parties was not enough to decide the case.

But PTI counsel Naeem Bokhari announced the party’s decision to boycott a commission to probe the Panamagate scam. However, Sharif’s lawyer told the court their clients would accept the decision to set up a commission.