SC to announce Panamagate verdict tomorrow

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court will announce the verdict in the high profile Panamagate case tomorrow (Thursday).

The five-judge bench of the apex court reserved the verdict on February 23.

Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan, President Awami Muslim League Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed and Emir Jamaat-e-Islami Siraj-ul-Haq had invoked the apex court’s jurisdiction seeking various remedies including disqualification of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his family members over alleged illegalities in offshore assets in the Panamagate scandal.

On January 01 last, soon after assuming his charge as Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Mian Saqib Nisar had formed a five-member larger bench led by the senior puisne judge, Justice Asif Saeed Khan Khosa, and comprising Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan, Justice Gulzar Ahmed, Justice Azmat Saeed Sheikh and Justice Ijazul Ahsan to hear the pleas from January 04.

Last year, Panama Papers had published a leak of documents belonging to Mossack Fonseca, a Panama-based law firm. The leak named over 400 incumbent as well as former leaders of the world who owned offshore companies.

Iceland’s prime minister was forced to resign in the aftermath, after the leak showed his family sheltered assets offshore.

Among other exposed to scrutiny include the PM Nawaz Sharif and his family members, the former British Prime Minister David Cameron, and other politicians and associates.

As per reports, the case will be heard in Court Room 1 at 2pm on the April 20, while only those possessing security clearance passes will be allowed to attend the hearing.