Panamagate case: PM’s reply to Sheikh Rasheed’s petition submitted

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s counsel on Saturday submitted to the Supreme Court a written response to Sheikh Rasheed’s petition to disqualify Sharif as the PM under Articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution.

The reply stated that Sheikh Rasheed had only levied accusations and failed to present evidence in his petition, and thus should be fined and his petition discarded.

“The prime minister is the representative chosen by the country and cannot be removed from office based on mere accusations,” the reply said.

The reply noted that Sheikh Rasheed demand that the PM be tried under Articles 62 and 63 could not be entertained, as there is no judicial forum that has given a verdict against a PM on the basis of these articles.

The reply also noted that the PM had not been in the Panama Papers, nor is he a beneficial owner of the offshore companies mentioned in the scandal.

It also clarified that Maryam Nawaz is not dependent on her father and no proof has been provided regarding Nawaz Sharif or Maryam’s tax evasion.

“In the process of hearing the case under Article 184, the court cannot overlook Article 10A of the Constitution,” the petition read.

The PM’s counsel also attached extra evidence to the reply, including documents that purportedly tie Imran Khan to an offshore company, records from Khan’s company from 1983 to 2014, and the record of the dissolution of the company in 2015

The PM’s counsel also submitted documents from Jahangir Tareen’s election application, documentation from the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan’s past action against Tareen, a confessional statement from Jahangir Tareen regarding the illegal buying and selling of shares, as well as a notice sent by the Federal Bureau of Revenue to Tareen.

The reply also contained documents from a disqualification case against Imran Khan and Jahangir Tareen pending in the Supreme Court.

Source: Dawn