In a jolt to Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, the Supreme Court of Pakistan, on Tuesday ordered a probe into the Panama Papers scandal that involved the beleaguered premier.
The Supreme Court heard several identical petitions by Imran Khan, chief of Pakistan’s Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and others to investigate charges of corruption against Sharif and his relatives after the Panama Papers which was released earlier this year showed his family owning offshore companies and assets.
The five-member bench headed by Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali and comprising Justice Asif Saeed Khan Khosa, Justice Amir Hani Muslim, Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed and Justice Ijazul Ahsan conducted the hearing in presence of several cabinet ministers, lawyers of petitioners, senior PTI leaders and media.
Imran Khan Calls Off Protest
The apex court said it was ready to appoint a probe commission headed by a judge and armed with powers of the Supreme Court.
However, the court did not ban the protest by PTI tomorrow in Islamabad, instead it advised the government and opposition to show restraint.
Pakistan opposition leader, Imran Khan backed down from his threat to shut down the capital on Wednesday, but he vowed to hold a celebratory rally after the Supreme Court’s direction.
On the Supreme Court’s advice, we have decided that tomorrow we will thank God and celebrate a Day of Thanks at (Islamabad’s) parade ground.Imran Khan, Chief of PTI
The celebratory rally is a step back from his threat to paralyse the city and the government, and is likely to ease tension that has boiled over into violence in the days ahead of the planned protest in the capital.
According to the Panama Papers, three of Sharif's four children – Maryam, Hasan and Hussain – were owners of offshore companies and "were owners or had the right to authorise transactions for several companies."
Sharif and his family have categorically dismissed the allegations of money laundering and denied any wrongdoing but the opposition is demanding an independent probe.
Meanwhile, the government has taken elaborate measures to foil the protest and any effort to lockdown the capital as PTI chief Khan has threatened in several speeches.
Official sources said close to 2,000 people were arrested to maintain law and order. But PTI claims that thousands of its workers were arrested.
(With inputs from PTI and Reuters)
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