Even though today's Panamagate verdict by the Pakistan SC neither gave a clean chit nor a disqualification to PM Sharif, it essentially places the leader at the mercy of the Army.
Even though today's Panamagate verdict by the Pakistan Supreme Court neither gave a clean chit nor a disqualification to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, it essentially places the leader at the mercy of the Army.
The apex court by a verdict of 3-2 ordered the formation of a Joint Investigation Committee (JIT) to probe whether Sharif and his family is guilty of amassing illegal wealth abroad. The committee is going to comprise of former and serving army related officers, according to informed sources.
The verdict said the JIT to be led by a director-general level FIA officer is to include officials from the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), State Bank of Pakistan, Inter-Services Intelligence and Military Intelligence. Sources say this verdict is a takeover of Sharif by the army. The military has ruled Pakistan for much of its history since 1947 and historic distrust has always strained relations between the two branches of power ' the civil and the military.
The Panama Papers, which refer to a massive trove of secret documents leaked from Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca ' which specialised in helping the global elite stash wealth in offshore tax havens ' had said that the Prime Minister's children Maryam, Hasan and Hussain Nawaz "were owners or had the right to authorise transactions for several [offshore] companies".
At least eight offshore companies were found to have links to the Sharif family in the documents that were leaked following which the case was filed by various petitioners - PTI chief Imran Khan, Jamaat-i-Islami emir Sirajul Haq and Sheikh Rashid Ahmed ' seeking disqualification of Prime Minister Sharif over his alleged misstatement in his address to the nation on April 5 and his speech before the National Assembly on May 16, 2016.
The petitioners claimed that the Prime Minister lied about the investments made by his children in offshore companies, which led to the acquisition of four apartments in London's upscale Park Lane neighbourhood. (ANI)
Imran Khan demands resignation
Following the Panamagate verdict, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan on Thursday once again demanded Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s resignation over corruption allegations.
‘What moral right does Nawaz have to remain premier when a criminal investigation is being launched against him,’ The Express Tribune quoted the PTI as saying while addressing the media soon after the Supreme Court’s verdict.
Drawing a comparison between an investigation launched against gangster Uzair Baloch and the premier, Imran said, ‘If Nawaz is cleared after JIT’s investigation, he can return to the seat.’
‘The verdict is historic because a sitting prime minister has never been investigated before,’ he said, adding the verdict to form a JIT proves all arguments by Sharif were lies.
Questioning the decision to include NAB officials in the JIT, Imran said, ‘Today, SC said NAB has failed. How can all those institutions working under PM apart from ISI, and MI probe him’’
Meanwhile, former president and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chair Asif Ali Zardari wondered as to why the Prime Minister’s family was celebrating post the order.
Zardari told the media, ‘On what grounds is PML-N celebrating and distributing sweets’ Are they celebrating that two senior judges called for the prime minister’s disqualification’’
In a 3-2 judgement on the case, the apex court earlier ordered the formation of a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to continue probing the allegations of financial irregularities and money laundering, while noting that at present, there is ‘insufficient evidence to remove Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.’
The JIT has been given two months to complete the probe into the premier and his sons Hussain and Hasan, all of whom have also been directed to appear before the JIT. The investigators will also have to present bi-weekly reports to a special bench of the Supreme Court.
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