Historic Judgement: Nawaz Sharif disqualified

- ROHAN AGARWAL (rohannvrs@gmail.com)

One of the biggest leaks, exposing involvement of various celebrities and politicians all over world , ‘Panama Paper leaks’ has hit the former Nawaz Sharif really hard. The Supreme Court of Pakistan announced its verdict in the Panama Papers case against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, declaring him guilty. The top court also disqualified him from the post of Prime Minister.

The verdict against Sharif will be always be treated as a landmark judgement in the history of the nuclear-armed country, where politicians are rarely subjected to the kind of scrutiny undergone by Sharif. However, the possibility of Sharif’s third term in power being cut short has also raised concerns about Pakistan’s fragile democracy as no prime minister has completed a full term in power since independence from British colonial rule in 1947.

Nawaz Sharif was accused in various cases of corruption and misuse of power along with his daughter and son-in-law. After Panama Paper leaks, opposition leaders in Pakistan had filled a PIL against the Prime Minister in the apex court. 

In a unanimous judgement, the Supreme Court disqualified Sharif from holding his office. According to Dawn (leading national daily of Pakistan), the judges ruled that Sharif was “dishonest to Parliament and the courts and could not be deemed fit for his office.”

Pakistan Supreme Court justice Ejaz Afzal Khan said the bench has ordered to open cases against Captain Muhammad Safdar, Maryam, Hassan and Hussain Nawaz as well as Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, the Dawn reported, adding a final judgement should be announced within 30 days.

SHAHID KHAQAN ABBASI

Shahid Khaqan Abbasi (58) hails from the famous hill resort of Murree in Rawalpindi district of Punjab province and was minister for petroleum in the ousted premier Sharif's government. 

Abbasi, was elected Prime Minister by Pakistan's National Assembly. However, Abbasi is appointed as an interim Prime Minister as Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) nominated Abbasi as the interim prime minister until Sharif's brother and Punjab province chief minister Shehbaz Sharif is elected as a National Assembly member.