Panamagate verdict: Another blow to former Pak PM Nawaz Sharif as SC rejects review petitions

Former Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif. (File)

The Pakistan Supreme Court on Friday dismissed the review petitions filed by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, his children and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar challenging the apex court’s July 28 verdict on the Panamagate case. Announcing its decision, as reported by the DAWN, the five-judge SC bench said: “For the reasons recorded later, all these review petitions are dismissed.” The court will reveal reasons for the judgment in a detailed order which will come out later.”

Earlier in the day, the court had reserved its verdict, after listening to lawyers of all the petitioners. According to the Dawn report, Sharif, 67, will remain disqualified as a member of the parliament. The report further added that Sharif and his family will face corruption references which were filed in the accountability court by the National Accountability Bureau.

On Thursday, Justice Asif Saeed Khosa had asked the former Pakistan PM to not get apprehensive because of one negative decision against him, the DAWN reported. Khosa further asked Sharif to have trust in the court which had come to his rescue often in the past. “There is no need to get apprehensive merely because one decision has come against you,” Justice Khosa was quoted as saying by the DAWN.

Pakistan Supreme Court had disqualified Sharif on July 28, who was facing allegations of money laundering during his tenure as Prime Minister in the 1990s, when he had bought assets in London. The assets were discovered when The Indian Express first reported in 2016 that they were managed through offshore companies owned by Sharif’s children. The report was part of Panama Papers investigation conducted by International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ). After its decision, the court asked National Accountability Board to file reference against Sharif and his family. Justice Ejaz Afzal, who read out the verdict, further added that all the material collected will be sent to an accountability court.