Islamabad: Pakistan’s Supreme Court on Friday announced two important decisions – dismissing Hudaibiya Paper Mills case against ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s family and clearing Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief in a disqualification reference.
The first good news came for the ruling Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) as the top court turned down the plea of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to reopen Hudaibiya Paper Mills case against Sharif family.
The decision was read out by Justice Mushir Alam while he was also joined by Justice Qazi Faez Isa and Justice Mazhar Alam Miankhel. Hours later, the SC announced that Imran Khan was ‘qualified’ for politics but disqualified his party’s Secretary General Jehangir Tareen.
In the Hudaibiya Paper Mills case, Justice Qazi Faez Isa remarked that the documents on which NAB wanted to reopen the case was not attached with the petition, adding “We are hearing the plea, not a reference.”
The lawyer had told the court that there were spaces in Lahore High Court (LHC) decision, therefore, the plea should be considered for justice. The apex court, after hearing the plea, declared it inadmissible as it has got expired.
“You have failed to satisfy the court on the reasons for delay in filing the appeal,” Justice Mushir Alam said. On November 11, the apex court rejected NAB plea, seeking adjournment of Hudaibiya Paper Mills case till the appointment of the new prosecutor general.
NAB had blamed ousted premier Nawaz Sharif and the LHC judges for delaying Hudaibiya Paper Mills Ltd case appeal and requested the top court to reopen the reference.
On November 13, new bench was formed after Justice Asif Saeed Khosa excused himself from hearing the matter, saying that he was given the case due to office’s mistake. He continued, “It seems that the office has not read my verdict on Panama Leaks case. I wrote 14 paragraphs over Hudaibiya Papers Mills in the April 20 decision.”
The Hudaibiya Paper Mills case is basically about money laundering of Sharif family during 1990s. The case was lodged against Nawaz Sharif, his brother and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Hamza Shahbaz and other members over Federal Minister for Finance Ishaq Dar’s confessional statement on April 25, 2000 before magistrate in Lahore.
The reference was afterwards dismissed by LHC referee judge Justice Sardar Shamimon March 11, 2014 in response to a writ petition filed in 2011, stating that Mr Dar was pressurized to record the statement. Later, announcing the verdict on PML-N leader Hanif Abbasi’s petitions, the Supreme Court dismissed plea to disqualify Imran Khan.
Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar said Imran Khan was not liable to declare Niazi Services Ltd in his 2013 nomination papers as he was not a shareholder. Bani Gala is Mr Khan’s property and he bought the land for his family, the CJP announced.
Hanif Abbasi had filed the petition in November last year, accusing the PTI leaders Imran Khan and Jahangir Tareen of not declaring their assets to the Election Commission of Pakistan and violations of the lncome Tax Ordinance, 1979, and Peoples Act, 1974.
