Panamagate: Pak Supreme Court Disqualifies Nawaz Sharif as PM

File photo of Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

(Photo: PTI)

Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Friday formally stepped down after a court order disqualified him from his post due to allegations of corruption which came to light after Panamagate.

The decision by a five-judge panel of the Supreme Court was not surprising as many legal experts and opposition leaders were expecting punitive measures against Sharif and his family.

It is not the first time the judiciary has ordered dismissal of the elected Prime Minister in Pakistan.

In 2012, the court convicted the then Premier Yusuf Raza Gilani in a contempt case, forcing him to step down.

The current case against Sharif and his family dates back to 2016, when documents leaked from a Panama-based law firm indicated that Sharif's sons owned several offshore companies.

Sharif's son, Hussain Nawaz, at the time, acknowledged owning offshore companies, but insisted they used legal money to set up businesses abroad.

Sharif’s brother, Shehbaz Sharif will replace him as the next Prime Minister.

Video Editor: Rahul Sanpui