Islamabad: Pakistan’s Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali on Tuesday cleared the way for a preliminary hearing for petitions seeking a probe into the Panama Papers scandal.
The leaked Panama Papers revealed offshore companies allegedly owned by children of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
Justice Zamali set aside objections raised by the Supreme Court registrar when he recently returned the petitions to the movers including two opposition parties, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Jamaat-e-Islami.
The two political parties, which also sought the disqualification of the prime minister in their petitions, had challenged the decision of the registrar.
After hearing arguments in his chamber, the chief justice quashed the registrar’s objections and decided a three-judge bench will examine maintainability of the petitions.
PTI leader Imran Khan is expected to lead an antigovernment march on Friday from Lahore, capital of Punjab province, to nearby Raiwind town, in the vicinity of the Sharif family’s residential estate.
Tension is running high between PTI and Sharif’s party, Pakistan Muslim League — Nawaz (PML-N), amid hectic preparations by Imran Khan’s followers for the Raiwind show.
PML-N activists have publicly warned political rivals to stay away from the residence of the ruling family, while PTI has threatened retaliation against any attempts to stop its people from reaching Raiwind.
The prime minister, who was due to return home from London on Tuesday, has said he had directed PML-N not to create any hurdle in the way of the PTI protest.
Media reports said the Punjab administration had decided to depute several thousand police in Raiwind to provide security for the opposition rally.
