Islamabad: Pakistan’s Supreme Court on Friday dismissed all review petitions filed by ousted Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, his children, Hassan, Hussain and Maryam Nawaz and finance minister Ishaq Dar on the Panama verdict.
The SC disqualified Mr Sharif on July 28. According to details, the apex court concluded hearing on the petitions and reserved the verdict. Supreme Court’s five-judge bench headed by Justice Saeed Khosa took over the review petitions and heard the arguments of Mr Sharif’s lawyer Khawaja Haris. Justice Khosa read the verdict.
In its verdict, SC remarked that the final verdict of July 28 was prepared very carefully.
Earlier, the SC had said that the judges were just and fair to all, therefore, the Sharifs should have faith in the court instead of taking to the streets.
Justice Khosa, heading a five-member bench hearing the review petitions against the Panama Papers case verdict of July 28, said: “This is not the first case against the Sharifs, as, in the past, cases were filed against the Sharif family and the courts provided them relief. It is a wrong impression that the SC is against them.”
After his disqualification, former Mr Sharif headed to Lahore from Islamabad via Grand Trunk Road while addressing big rallies and making speeches and raising an objection to the manner the SC disqualified him. Mr Sharif also criticised the superior judiciary in his addresses.
Justice Khosa, heading a five-member bench hearing the review petitions against the Panama Papers case verdict of July 28, said: “This is not the first case against the Sharifs, as, in the past, cases were filed against the Sharif family and the courts provided them relief. It is a wrong impression that the Supreme Court is against them.”
He said that even the worst criminal was entitled to the protection of the law, and this court has always stood for and defended the fundamental rights of the citizens. “We are just and fair to all,” Justice Khosa said. Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed also said: “Have faith in us and not in the streets.”
The counsel for Nawaz Sharif and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar said that their clients have faith in the court, therefore, they were before them.
Justice Khosa said that during Ziaul Haq’s regime, when people were hanged publically, the Amnesty International wrote a letter to the August court against the public hanging. “The top court on the letter of the AI took suo moto notice and on its order, the public hanging was stopped,” he said.
Justice Khosa addressing both the counsel said: “There is the legislature and you (Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz) are running all the institutions. If you want to make changes in the law or Constitution, it is up to you, but we (judges) will perform our duty what is written in the Constitution.”
