Country on tenterhooks as Panama Papers verdict is due tomorrow

ISLAMABAD: Finally, the Supreme Court (SC) will announce tomorrow (Thursday) the eagerly-awaited verdict in the PanamaLeaks case in which disqualification of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was sought for allegedly lying on the floor of parliament.

A five-member larger bench, headed by Justice Asif Saeed Khan Khosa, and comprising Justices Ijaz Afzal Khan, Gulzar Ahmed, Sheikh Azmat Saeed and Ijazul Ahsen, will announce the reserved verdict on Thursday.

According to Supplementary Cause List issued by the apex court for April 20, the verdict in the Panama case will be announced at 2pm. Pakistan Tehreek Insaaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed of Awami Muslim League (AML), and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Ameer Sirajul Haq had filed constitutional petitions, seeking disqualification of the prime minister.

The court on February 22 had reserved the judgment after hearing all the parties with the observation that it would not leave the Panama case undecided and vowed to come up with a verdict regardless of the fact that the parties may or may not like it.

Justice Khosa, who was heading the bench, had observed that they were considering the instant matter from every conceivable angle. Since the court reserved the judgment in the matter, the general public as well as media analysts including TV anchors and columnists were bent upon giving their respective analysis as well as guessing the date for the announcement of the judgments.

The major theme that revolves around the whole of the case relates to the disqualification of the premier for what the petitioners, particularly PTI Chief Imran Khan and Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed, had submitted in their petitions that after lying on the floor of parliament, Nawaz remained no more Sadiq and Ameen as required under the Constitution; hence, he should be disqualified.

Last year in April 2016 with a huge leak of 11.5 million documents from the database of a Panama-based law firm, Mossack Fonseca, politicians, celebrities, businessmen and criminals who had set up offshore companies were revealed.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his family came under fire at home with opposition parties accusing them of widespread corruption, after the names of PM’s children cropped up in the leaked documents from the Panamanian law firm.

Judgement reserved

On February 22, when the court reserved the judgment, the Attorney General had contended that the apex court cannot give a declaration without recording evidence in cases relating to controversial issues.

The court, however, observed that it is the fundamental right of the nation to know whether the prime minister is eligible or not under articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution.

The AG submitted that these articles are for the members of parliament and not the prime minister adding that relevant forums for disqualification are Speaker National Assembly and the Election Commission of Pakistan.

He further contended that if the prime minister had not disclosed his assets in the nomination papers, then he can be proceeded against in the court of District and Sessions Judge but not in the Supreme Court.

He said that under the law, parliamentarians are required to submit their assets and liabilities while filing their nomination papers adding that under Section 42-A of Representation of Peoples Act 2014, a person can file his/her assets in the nomination papers and if he/she makes any violation, he/she may be proceeded against for committing such an offense.

Hence, he contended that the appellant can file a criminal case against the prime minister under this section adding that the prime minister has no immunity in criminal cases.

The AG said that criminal case can be lodged over misrepresentation in which the premier will not have any exemption. He said that not only trial but disqualification will follow.

“You mean dishonesty comes in corruption and a person can be disqualified for violating electoral laws,” Justice Khosa had asked the AG. The AG replied in the affirmative.

Opposition hopeful

While welcoming the announcement of the verdict date, the PTI spokesperson said 'Inshallah this decision will reflect the will of the people of Pakistan'.

Talking to Geo News, Sheikh Rasheed said I am hopeful that the coffin of corruption will come out from the top court tomorrow.

JUI-F chief Fazl ur Rehman, who is also the collation partner of PML-N, predicted nothing unusual from the Panama case and said nation's time is being wasted on a non-issue.

Setting aside all the speculations, PML-N leader Talal Chaudhry said there's nothing to worry about as this case is all political and an attempt to dislodge Nawaz government. The verdict will not affect the prime minster, he said.

Important meetings

The ruling party has convened a party meeting today in the Federal Capital to decide the future course of action after the verdict. PM Nawaz Sharif will chair the meeting.

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari have also summoned the party leadership to Islamabad. The PPP sources said that the decision has been taken to discuss the situation to be arisen after the SC verdict in the Panamagate scandal.

They said that the party’s legal advisers had also been asked to stay in the capital.

The PTI chairman, who is the main petitioner in the case, has also called top party leadership to Islamabad to devise party policy after the judgement.