ISLAMABAD: Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) would be conducting the hearing of petitions that seek disqualification of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, in the wake of the disclosures of the Panama Papers, on Wednesday.
The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Awami Muslim League (AML) and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) filed references against the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his family. The 72-page reference filed by PTI leader Yasmin Rashid, on June 24, said the prime minister had not mentioned the offshore companies revealed in the Panama Papers in his statements of assets submitted to the ECP at the time of the elections of 2013.
The PPP submitted a 1,000-page reference against the Prime Minister, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Hamza Shahbaz, Finance Minister Senator Ishaq Dar and Captain (R) Muhammad Safdar accusing them of hiding their assets.
In the reference of PAT under Articles 62 & 63 that was filed in June, Allama Dr Muhammad Tahirul Qadri contended that the loyalty of the prime minister to the state of Pakistan was also doubtful therefore, he must be disqualified.
In July, AML leader Sheikh Rasheed submitted an application to ECP in which he stated that the Prime Minister was no more qualified to remain a member of the National Assembly.
The political parties filed their petitions individually following a deadlock in talks between opposition parties and government over the terms of reference (ToRs) for the proposed commission to investigate the Panama Papers.
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