Pak apex court issues notice to PM Sharif, kin in Panama case

The Pakistan Supreme Court on Thursday issued notice to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his family members in the ‘Panama Papers’ leak case, acting on petitions, seeking his disqualification over alleged corruption and illegally possessing assets abroad.

The court heard several petitions, including by Imran Khan of he Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, which accused Sharif and his family members of illegally transferring money abroad after the Panama Paper leaks showed his family of possessing properties in the UK.

In addition to Sharif, the court also issued notices to his daughter Maryam, sons Hasan and Hussain, son-in-law Muhammad Safdar, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, director general Federal Investigation Agency, chairman Federal Board of Revenue and the attorney general.

The three-judge SC bench, consisting of Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali, Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Khilji Arif Hussain, adjourned the case for two weeks after initial hearing.

Cricketer-turned-politician Khan, who is leading the alleged corruption case against Sharif, was present in the court. Taking to reporters, he said Sharif was behaving like a king but he would make him accountable before the law.

Khan also hoped that hearing in the case would be completed soon as “justice delayed is justice denied”. “We hope that the case’s proceedings will reveal details of several issues that were concealed from the nation,” said Khan, who has given a call to lockdown Islamabad on November 2 to force the Prime Minister to resign.

He said it was his constitutional right to hold protest and warned of consequences, if government tried to stop or detain him.

According to the Panama Papers, three of Sharif’s four children – Maryam, Hasan and Hussain were owners of offshore companies and “were owners or had the right to authorise transactions for several companies.”  

Sharif and his family have dismissed the allegations of money-laundering and denied any wrongdoing, but the opposition is demanding an independent probe.