Lawyer moves PHC seeking PM’s disqualification

Panama Papers revelations

PESHAWAR: A petition was filed in the Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Tuesday seeking disqualification of Nawaz Sharif as Member of National Assembly and Prime Minister of Pakistan in the wake of Panama Papers revelations.

A local lawyer, Muhammad Ayaz Majid, filed the petition under Article 199 of Constitution. He prayed the court to declare the conduct of the prime minister against the qualification of the Member of National Assembly as he had violated Article 62 and 63 of the Constitution and thus lost the right to be premier of the country.

The petitioner prayed the court to inquire from the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) as to why they were silent over “the offence” within their jurisdiction.

The petitioner made Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, President Mamnoon Hussain, Election Commission of Pakistan, federal government through cabinet secretary, Collector Customs, secretaries Interior and Foreign Affairs, Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), NAB, FBR and public at large as parties to the petition.

The petitioner said different people had been looting the exchequer since independence by getting their loans waived off, obtaining kickbacks, taking bribes and employing other illegal means to make money and all this needed to be investigated and halted.

“Not only the Panama offshore companies but thousands other offshore companies have been found which [are] yet to be disclosed and the relevant information could be provided by secretary Foreign Affairs of Pakistan,” the petitioner stated.

He argued that the prime minister and his family have a long history of ruling the country but recently the national and international media published and broadcast the Panama Papers leaks with proofs about 220 Pakistanis, including the prime minister’s sons Hassan Nawaz and Hussain Nawaz and daughter Maryam Nawaz who own offshore companies.

He stated in the petition that Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s family members also owned offshore companies. “This report is focusing on investment that has been made in the offshore companies in order to avoid any tax implications levied by the local jurisdiction. It further states that Nawaz Sharif’s family has been included in the list of the people being accused of such tax evasions,” the petition noted.