Opposition parties raise heat on Panama case

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan on Monday called for registration of criminal cases against Nawaz Sharif and his children for lying and presenting fake documents before the Supreme Court (SC) and the Joint Investigation Team (JIT).

He said this while chairing a party meeting here to review the latest political situation with particular reference to the hearing at the apex court, following presentation of the JIT report to the SC last week.

Imran asserted the Sharif family had nothing to say in their defence, whereas they presented fake documents to the apex court and the JIT and hence should be proceeded against accordingly. 

Referring to the challenging of the JIT report by the Sharif family, he claimed that the report had been challenged on the basis of assumptions.  Meanwhile, Imran has strongly condemned the terrorist attack in Peshawar and extended condolences over the loss of precious lives of FC personnel.  In a statement issued by PTI Central Media Department, Imran urged the provincial government to provide the best treatment to the injured. He stated that the reign of terror wastotally unacceptable and stressed on the provincial government to take effective measures to ensure peace in the province. 

He advocated carrying out a comprehensive inquiry of the incident and stressed to deal the culprits responsible for such heinous act with iron hands.  “Chaudhary Shujaat Hussain has fully supported the demand for the resignation of Prime Minister,” senior leader Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf Babar Awan said after he received a telephone call from president of PML-Q Chaudhary Shujaat Hussain. 

Both discussed the overall political situation and exclusively Panama leaks probe was deliberated upon.  President PML and former Prime Minister Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain has said that the nation and political parties will not tolerate any step against Supreme Court (SC) or its insult or humiliation.

“I come today for the first time in Panama case hearing in support of the SC. I am confident that the verdict of the learned court will give new direction to Pakistan and those who are targeting JIT should remember that the Supreme Court had received list of 600 persons for the constitution of JIT and only six capable persons were selected out of them,” he said while talking to newsmen here outside the SC. MNA Tariq Bashir Cheema, Muhammad Basharat Raja and Dr Azeemuddin Lakhvi accompanied him.

Chaudhry Shujaat said that this matter has come as a blessing from Almighty Allah. Now whatever verdict the SC gives in this historical case will be acceptable because the learned judges had stated they will deliver historical judgement, he said. 

PTI leader Babar Awan claimed that not only godfather-I (Nawaz Sharif) but also godfather-II (Shahbaz Sharif) would face disqualification. He said, "If only one judge of the three-member SC bench gives his ruling against the rulers, verdict will come for disqualification of Nawaz. This all what is needed at the moment to implement ‘Go Nawaz Go’ slogan." 

He maintained that the entire nation had full confidence in the Supreme Court and its proceedings in the high-profile case and the masses as well as the lawyers’ community stood by the court.

Babar claimed that the ‘ruling PML-N’ stood divided in two groups: one headed by Maryam Nawaz, which is led by Capt (R) Safdar and it had defeated the other PML-N group. He alleged that Nawaz was becoming the cause of Pakistan’s embarrassment and isolation at the international level and asserted after having been caught red-handed, there was no justification for him to cling to his post.

Babar went on to charge that after the submission of JIT report, Nawaz wanted to create a scene of anarchy and lawlessness in Pakistan. But, he added, “We will neither let them attack the apex court nor will let them run away from the judgement in Panama case”.

PTI’s spokesperson Fawad Hussain Chaudhry also talked to media and said that JIT had the conclusion, which already two senior SC judges had reached and now Nawaz was facing disqualification under Article 62 and 63 of the Constitution.

He alleged that Sharif family submitted fake documents during the Panama case hearing and whatever ICIJ said was now reported by JIT in its report, whereas same had appeared in the international media which said that the prime minister had properties abroad.

He said that Maryam Nawaz was the beneficiary owner of the properties and would now be facing criminal proceedings and under this, she could be disqualified for ten years and face imprisonment for seven years. He claimed the Sharifs had been trapped in such a way that none could now rescue them.

Fawad noted that ‘Hill Metals’ and nine other companies were used to whiten black money, whereas despite losses, properties were purchased in London and money was earned from Pakistan and was being given to Sharif’s children abroad. He claimed that 88 percent profit from Hill Metals was received by Nawaz, whereas Hussain Nawaz sent over Rs1 billion to his father from Hill Metals.

In his short comment, PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s aide Naeemul Haq, again called for resignation of Nawaz and dubbed him a ‘stigma’ on the face of Pakistan. He alleged that Nawaz violated the Constitution and betrayed the public trust and also lied to the cabinet, his family and the entire nation. 

Jamat-e-Islami (JI) Amir Senator Sirajul Haq has said that corruption would be buried in the Supreme Court (SC) and final victory in the struggle would be of the masses.  Talking to media outside the SC which resumed hearing of the PanamaLeaks case on Monday, Sirajul Haq said that the JIT report had vindicated the decision of the two Supreme Court judges and the case was going ahead in the right direction. 

He said even a layman could see that the legal team of the government was trying to make the whole case a political issue instead of arguing on legal grounds in order to make the ruling family political martyrs. 

He said that earlier, the government party had distributed sweets on the formation of the JIT without going through the judgment as it believed that, the government officers in BPS-18 to 20 dare not report against the prime minister saying the rulers were using the Constitution and the law as toothpicks. 

Sirajul Haq said the JI had been stressing that the prime minister had told a lie on the floor of the National Assembly and also before the court and should be disqualified under articles 62 and 63.

The JIT report, he said, had revealed the properties of the ruling family but their sources of earning were not disclosed.  He said the head of the entire nation hung in shame to learn that the prime minister had been receiving salary as Director of a Dubai company for years and this income was not disclosed in the assets. He said one could understand if some Arab Sheikhs had been using most derogatory language about this country. 

The JI chief further said that the PanamaLeaks had listed around six hundred persons and all of them must be brought to accountability. He said if a few dozen people were sent to jail for corruption, it would be a historic moment and the course of the history would be changed. 

He said that there should be screening of politicians in the light of the articles 62 and 63 so that no corrupt element could get into Parliament. 

The JI chief said that threats were still being hurled at the judiciary but declared that the entire nation was with the SC and no one could attack the SC as in the past. He paid complements to the JIT members for completing their assignment without any fear.