ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court Tuesday adjourned hearing of four identical petitions filed by PTI and others seeking investigation of alleged involvement of Prime Minister and his family members in the Panama Leaks till Nov 3.
The court directed counsels of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) and other parties to submit written response on Thursday regarding finalisation of Terms of Reference (TOR) for the formation of a commission to probe the issue of Panama Papers leaks.
A five-member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali and comprising Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, Justice Amir Hani Muslim, Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed and Justice Ijazul Hassan heard the case filed by Advocate Tariq Asad, Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) chief Sirajul Haq, PTI chief Imran Khan and chief Awami Muslim League (AML) Sheikh Rashid Ahmed seeking investigation of offshore investment made by Pakistanis and family of Prime Minister.
The court directed the parties to submit their Terms of Reference (TOR) on the formation of a commission to probe the Panama Papers leaks. The bench observed that if the parties did not agree on TOR, then it would draft its own TOR. “The commission will report to the Supreme Court and it will hold powers equal to the Supreme Court,” it added.
During the course of proceedings, Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali remarked that they had to save the country from unrest and crises. The Chief Justice observed that the Panama Papers issue has affected the entire country.
Justice Asif Saeed Khosa remarked that the apex court was the supreme forum to resolve conflicts. He remarked that the court would not prolong the matter.
Eelier, the court directed both the parties petitioners and respondents to submit their replies after consulting with their respective parties on the formation of a commission and suspended the hearing for two hours and said the court would decide who would be the head and members of the commission. When the court resumed hearing of the case after the break, all the parties submitted their written replies on the formation of judicial commission.
Advocate Salman Aslam Butt counsel for the Prime Minister and his family appeared before the court and informed that the Prime Minister would accept the Judicial Commission. If the allegations against him were proved then he would accept legal consequences, he said.
He said that the Prime Minister agreed to the proposed investigation regarding the London’s properties and formation of Judicial Commission to investigate offshore companies.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has welcomed formation of the commission on Panama Papers Leaks and wanted early conclusion of the case, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said this while talking to media here on Tuesday.
Khawaja Asif said that his party would accept the decision of the Supreme Court whole-heartedly but after the taking up this case by the apex court there was not justification for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to hold protest on November 2.
The Minister said, “Now the judiciary has taken up the matter, there is no logic to agitate.” “Both the parties (accused and accuser) are before the court so I think the nation should be given relief from agony of this protest,” he added. He urged the PTI do pause the politics of sit-ins and made it clear that the government has complete faith in the judiciary.
Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique speaking at the occasion expressed hope that the leadership of PTI would show maturity and call off its protest. Saad asked Imran Khan to call off protest and said, “Do a favour and don’t put your workers in testing times.”
Member of the National Assembly belonging to PML (N) Talal Chaudhry said that they would not let Khan play his ugly game. “Why did he not present the proofs in Supreme Court if he had any? He is spreading only anarchy in the name of protest,” he said.
He also criticized the stunt of Imran Khan about push-ups and termed it as ‘cheap tactics’.
“If Khan will be asked for dope test then it will be clear what & which prohibited medicines he uses”, Talal questioned. He pronounced that some political parties do not want Panama leaks probe. The parties who have not accepted Islamabad High Court’s (IHC) decision then how they will accpet Supreme Court’s verdict, he added.
Counsel of PTI Hamid Khan said that the PTI agreed over the formation of a commission to probe Panama Papers Leaks.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) spokesperson Naeemul Haque said that “We will continue our struggle against corruption.”The government has been under pressure since documents released as part of the Panama Papers”.
Sheikh Rashid of Pakistan Awami League talking to reporters said, “I think the court has felt pain of the nation. They have told all parties to take the nation out of this hardship.”
