Islamabad, October 20: The Supreme Court of Pakistan has issued a shocking notification to the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif. The notice was issued on the Panama papers that were leaked recently on Offshore accounts held by Nawaz Sharif and members of his family.
Accordingly, the Pakistan Supreme Court issued notices to Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz sons Hasan Nawaz and Hussain Nawaz.Along with the Nawaz family, senior members of the Pakistan Muslim League (N) were also sent notices. This included Pakistan’s Finance Minister Ishaq Dar among others.
The Supreme Court issued the notice after several petitions were heard from opposition political leaders like former cricketer Imran Khan of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. Khan accused Nawaz Sharif and members of his family of illegally transferring money abroad. A petition filed by the PTI Chief demands that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar be stopped from working in the government. The matter was aggravated after the Panama Papers leaks showed his family of possessing properties in the UK. (ALSO READ: Pakistani media’s warning to Nawaz Sharif on terrorism: ‘We are on verge of global isolation’)
The notice was issued by a three-member bench presided by Pakistan’s Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali, who heard the petitions including two petitions filed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf calling for the disqualification of Nawaz Sharif. Pakistan’s Supreme Court sent notices to all parties including the Prime Minister on the request of the party Jamat-e-Islami and Pakistan-Tehreek-e-Insaaf. An enquiry into allegations in the Panama Papers against Nawaz Sharif and his family has been launched.
According to reports in Pakistan’s Geo news TV, Imran Khan, who arrived at the Supreme Court to attend the hearing, said, “There are reports that the Prime Minister has been summoned.The basis of democracy is Magna Carta– a law which was passed which said that the law was above the king. This is the first time in Pakistan’s history the ‘king’ has been told that the law is above him. We welcome the decision,” he said. He further added that the SC decision will strengthen his party’s protest adding that corruption is cancer which is eating away the country.
The report also added that Nawaz Sharif welcomed the move and said the issue of the Panama Papers was brought to the notice of the Election Commission, Lahore High Court, and the Supreme Court. Sharif further added, ”I believe in the constitution, the supremacy of the law and transparency,” he said. According to reports and documents available on the ICIJ website, Sharif’s children were ”owners or had the right to authorise transactions for several companies”.