Nawaz Sharif saves his chair but faces 60-day probe in Panama scandal

Islamabad: The Pakistan Supreme Court on Thursday ordered a probe against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in connection with the Panama Papers scandal.

According to reports, the country's top court said a joint investigation team would be constituted to probe Sharif, which would submit its report within 60 days.

This however means that Nawaz Sharif will not be disqualified from his post as Prime Minister for the time being.

The court also ordered Sharif and his two sons - Hasan and Hussain - to appear before the joint investigation team, which would consist of officials from the Federal Investigation Agency, the National Accountability Bureau, the Security and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) and the Military Intelligence (MI).

Disqualifying Sharif would have left his party - the PML (N) - in power, but it would have caused intense turmoil at a time when Pakistan is experiencing modest growth and improved security after years of violence, and the civilian government and powerful military have appeared to come to uneasy terms.

Sharif has denied any wrongdoing, but the Supreme Court agreed to investigate his family's offshore wealth late last year after opposition leader Imran Khan threatened street protests.

In 2012, the same court convicted then-Premier Yusuf Raza Gilani in a contempt case, forcing him to step down.

The court decision on Thursday is the outcome of petitions from opposition lawmakers dating back to documents leaked in 2016 from a Panama-based law firm that indicated Sharif's sons owned several offshore companies.

Sharif's family has acknowledged owning offshore businesses. The opposition wants Sharif, in power since 2013, to resign over tax evasion and concealing foreign investment.