Twitter goes into a tizzy after PM Sharif steps down over Panama verdict

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif resigned after he got an unfavourable verdict from the country’s Supreme Court in the Panama Papers leaks. The Pakistan Supreme Court disqualified Sharif from holding public office, contesting elections and ruled that graft cases be filed against him and his children over the Panama Papers scandal. 
 

The court disqualified Sharif under Article 62 and 63 of the Constitution. The articles state that a Member of Parliament should be "truthful" and "righteous". The unanimous verdict was read out by the five-judge bench including Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan inside the packed courtroom 1 of the Supreme Court. It is the third time that Sharif’s term as premier has been cut short. 
 

The ruling came after a probe into the Sharif family’s wealth following the 2015 Panama Papers scandal linking Sharif’s children to offshore companies. The court has ordered further probes and anti-corruption cases against Sharif’s daughter, son-in-law, finance minister of the country and others.
 

 Sharif’s expulsion is likely to cause political turbulence in Pakistan as his party will have to find someone to hold office until next year’s elections. The much-awaited verdict has rushed Pakistan into a political crisis at a time when the country is already facing a stiff economy.
 

After the verdict came out, social media could not stop from reacting. The #PanamaVerdict was the top trending hashtag worldwide on Twitter. Some of the top trends worldwide on Twitter were related to Pakistan that included Nawaz Sharif, Gone Nawaz Gone, Pakistan’s Supreme Court and Panama Papers.
 

Twitter users treated the news with flippancy. While some hailed the verdict, others discussed the complications of the verdict. There were also jokes on Twitter with links to Indian politics.
 

Here’s how Twitter reacted to the verdict: