Pakistan’s Supreme Court on Thursday issued notice to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his family members in the ‘Panama Papers’ leaks case, acting on petitions seeking his disqualification over alleged corruption and illegal possession of assets abroad.
The court heard several petitions, including by cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, which accused Mr. Sharif and his family members of illegally transferring money abroad after the ‘Panama Papers’ leaks showed his family of possessing properties in the United Kingdom.
Also to his daughter, sons, son-in-law
In addition to Mr. Sharif, the court also issued notice 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, Justices Ijazul Ahsan and Khilji Arif Hussain, adjourned the case for two weeks after initial hearing.
Mr. Imran Khan, who is leading the case of alleged corruption against Mr. Sharif, was present in the court.
Later, talking to reporters, he said Mr. Sharif was behaving like a king but he would make him accountable before the law.
Mr. Khan hoped that the hearing of 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 Mr. Khan, who has given a call to lockdown capital 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 the government tried to stop or detain him.
According to the ''Panama Papers'', three of Mr. Sharif’s four children — Ms. Maryam, Mr. Hasan and Mr. Hussain were owners of offshore companies and “were owners or had the right to authorise transactions for several companies.”
Independent probe sought
Mr. Sharif and his family have dismissed the allegations of money laundering and denied any wrongdoing, but the opposition is demanding an independent probe.
