Top leaders of Pakistan's ruling party PML-N asserted today that the government would complete its term and soon elect a new leader after Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was disqualified by the Supreme Court.
Pakistan's Supreme Court today disqualified 67-year-old Sharif for dishonesty and ruled that corruption cases be filed against him and his children over the Panama Papers scandal, forcing the embattled leader out of office.
The leaders of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz party addressed media after the court issued its verdict, saying PML-N will complete its term which ends in June, 2018.
"We will defend the right of our voters," said Ahsan Iqbal, former minister for planning and development.
He said right now there was no government and cabinet in the country.
He said the new prime minister would be elected after Mamnoon Hussain summons parliament to elect the new leader of the house.
Iqbal also criticised the decision and said the "prayer of the petitioners was that Sharif was owner of London flats? but he was disqualified for something different".
Former railway minister Saad Rafique said chief of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party Imran Khan was part of the conspiracy to dislodge Sharif.
He said the government had accepted the decision but "We may file review petition as there is possibility of relief".
Rafique also said that new prime minister would be announced soon and he will be from the ruling PMLN.
Former petroleum minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said that he was in shock over the decision as the court decided to disqualify the prime minister on assumptions.
"Sharif has been disqualified for not taking salary from him son?s company in the UAE," Abbasi said.
Former law minister Zahid Hamid said that the judgment was based on weak argument and the court should not have based its judgment on it.
Former legal advisor Zafarullah said that what the court said sounds like creating new system of "jurisprudence".
Former IT minister Anusha Rehman said that the definition of assets used by court was not based on Pakistani laws.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)