Embattled Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif yesterday contested the graft charges against him and his family in the Supreme Court, saying the Panama probe panel did not produce any document to prove that he was the owner of the posh London flats
Nawaz Sharif Pic/AFP
Embattled Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif yesterday contested the graft charges against him and his family in the Supreme Court, saying the Panama probe panel did not produce any document to prove that he was the owner of the posh London flats.
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The apex court had started hearing the scandal on Monday after the JIT submitted its final report on July 10, recommending that a corruption case be file against Sharif and his family for alleged money laundering in the 1990s, when he twice served as prime minister, to purchase assets in London. Sharif’s lawyer Khawaja Harris said the JIT had overstepped its mandate given to it by the court and had based its findings on the documents, which were of no evidentiary value as per the laws of Pakistan.
However, the three-member apex bench observed that Sharif has not provided the details of all assets and sources of income in the form of his tax returns. Justice Ejaz Afzal told Sharif’s counsel that the Sharif family has not provided the money trail to establish that the London flats were legally purchased. “We have been waiting for them since day one to come forward and provide the money trail,” he said, adding that the court would decide the case on the basis of evidence and that it was not bound by the findings of the JIT.
Lawyers demand PM’s resignation
Lower and higher courts in Pakistan came to a standstill yesterday as lawyers held protests demanding PM Nawaz Sharif’s resignation. They have urged Sharif to “honourably” resign as he has “lost the moral and legal authority” to continue in his office.
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