Pakistan SC issues notice to Sharif over Panama Papers

The Pakistan Supreme Court on Thursday issued notice to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, his family members and others in the "Panama Papers" scandal on petitions seeking his disqualification over alleged corruption.

The five petitions maintain that the premier and his dependants were involved in establishing offshore firms as exposed by the Panama Papers, and that he concealed assets of his dependants and also concealed the truth from the National Assembly.

The bunch of petitions also adds that he is no longer eligible to hold office under Articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution, the Dawn reported.

The court was adjourned for two weeks after the initial hearing.

Prime Minister Sharif said: "I welcome the judicial proceedings in connection with Panama Papers."

In a statement issued after consultation with his legal team, he said, "The court of public opinion has been making decisions, it would be better to wait for the judiciary's decision."

The premier held the opposition responsible for the prolonged delay into investigation of the matter by a judicial commission.

He said he had not only made his stance on the matter clear in the National Assembly and before the people, but had also announced a commission to probe "Panama Papers" scandal.

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, Jamaat-i-Islami, Barrister Zafar­ullah Khan of Watan Party, Awami Muslim League Chief Sheikh Rashid Ahmed and Advocate Asad have filed petitions seeking the disqualification of the PM and his family members from holding public office.

--IANS

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