By Monitoring Desk
ISLAMABAD: The hearing of the Panamagate case resumed on Thursday where the five member bench, headed by Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, was apprised about details of the offices held by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif during his political career.
Justice Khosa headied the five-member larger bench comprising Justice Ejaz Afzal, Justice Gulzar Ahmed, Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed and Justice Ijaz ul Ahsan
As the hearing of the case resumed, Advocate Makhdoom Ali Khan counsel for Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif submitted the premier’s replies to questions posed by the Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday.
He submitted details with regard to various offices that Nawaz Sharif had been holding during his political career.
According to replies, Nawaz Sharif served as finance minister Punjab province from April 1981 to February 1985 and served as chief minister of the province from April 1985 to May 1988. The reply further informed that he served as interim chief minister from May 1988 to December 1988 and once again served as chief minister from December 1988 to August 1990.
Nawaz Sharif later served as prime minister from November 1990 to April 1993 and resigned from National Assembly in July 1993. He also served as leader of opposition in the national assembly from October 1993 to November 1996 and again became prime minister for the second time from February 1997 to October 1999 until his government was dissolved and martial law imposed in the country.
Nawaz Sharif, the reply submitted said, was sent in exile in December 2000 and he returned back to the country in November 2007 and got elected prime minister for the third time on June 5, 2013. Copies of the reply were also submitted to the counsels of PTI.
Naeem Bukhari, counsel for PTI prayed to the bench to discard the Qatari Prince’s letter from the case.
Justice Azmat Saeed remarked that the arguments of PM’s children were based on this letter. How could it be removed?PTI’s counsel Naeem Bukhari prayed the court to exclude the letter by Qatari prince from proceedings. He argued that the letter was not our but only a part of the prime minister’s documents.
Justice Ejaz observed that if the Qatari prince’s statement is just an hearsay then why it is being presented as witness. In reply, Bukhari observed said that if we ignore the letter then it will be proved that the Sharif family had bought the flats.
On this, Justice Azmat Saeed questioned how would you claim this? do you have any evidence?. He asked Bukhari that he has to prove through documents.
The bench remarked that if the letter is excluded then what would be the status of PM’s children. The letter had been written to endorse the viewpoint of PM’s child, he added.
The hearing has been adjourned till January 6 (tomorrow).