Islamabad: Pakistan's Supreme Court will announce its decision on the "Panamagate" case around 11:30am on Friday (10.30am Dubai time), according to a notification issued by the registrar of the Supreme Court, Dawn online reported.
The landmark verdict will be announced in Courtroom 1 of the Supreme Court building in Islamabad.
A three-member implementation bench of the apex court had concluded hearing the petitioners and defendants on July 21, giving them time to respond to the Supreme Court-sanctioned joint investigation team’s (JIT) report on the Sharif family’s financial dealings, submitted on July 10.
Final verdict
The original five-member bench of the Supreme Court which heard the Panama Papers case is going to issue the final verdict.
Justices Asif Saeed Khosa, Ejaz Afzal Khan, Gulzar Ahmed, Sheikh Azmat Saeed, Ijazul Ahsan will be present for the hearing.
Special security arrangements have been made. Besides police from the Security Division and Operations Division, Rangers and FC personnel will also deployed.
Entry to the court premises will only be allowed through passes being issued by the Supreme Court Registrar. The media will be issued passes through the Supreme Court’s public relations officer. No unauthorised person will be allowed to enter the capital’s Red Zone.
Pakistan interior minister vows to quit
Pakistani Interior Minister Nisar Ali Khan said on Thursday he would quit his post after the Supreme Court rules on corruption accusations against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, whatever the result.
The announcement by one of Sharif’s longstanding political allies marks a fresh blow to the premier as he awaits a ruling that could disqualify him from office.
Khan said he had clashed with members of Sharif’s PML-N party over how to tackle the Panama Papers leak, which led to the investigation into how Sharif obtained his wealth.
“The day Supreme Court decides, whether it is in favour of Nawaz Sharif or against him, I have decided I will quit from my ministry and I will also quit from the National Assembly,” Khan said.
“Someone who gave 33 years to (PML-N) cannot leave it just like that. But my 33 years worth of service seems to be reaching an end. It gives me great satisfaction that nobody believed I would leave: even my opponents wouldn’t believe it,” Geo TV quoted him as saying.
Nisar said he was a victim of internal intrigues and for the past month and a half, “I was suddenly excluded from the PML-N meetings ... I was not invited to consultative meetings”.
Clarifying that he was not taking any extreme measure right now, “owing to the pressure of friends”, Nisar nonetheless said he would resign from his ministry and the National Assembly on the day the Supreme Court announces the Panamagate verdict — “be it for the party or against it.” “My heart is no longer in politics,” he said.
In his nearly 45-minute long speech, the interior minister talked about his 33 year association with the party; conspiracies within the ruling PML-N; and his disillusionment with politics. He concluded it with some sound advice to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, whom he praised throughout as a “great and humble leader”. “I want to clarify a lot of things because of the rumours circulating these days,” Nisar began. “I want to talk about the situation vis-a-vis the Panamagate case,” he said.
Saying he wished to clarify why he differed with the PML-N leadership, the minister made it clear that he had been with the party for a long time (33 years) and had never considered leaving the party.
Referring to a flurry of meetings with PML-N leaders ahead of his press conference, Nisar said: “I was told by senior leaders not to do this press conference today. I told them I had to,” he continued. “I had made a big decision, and I had to announce it.”
“I love this party. Mian Nawaz Sharif created it and grew it through a labour of love,” he said. “But I said this in the meeting, and I’ll say it again: when I look around me, the people who helped create this party are nowhere to be found. Some have left the party; some have left the world.”
He said: “All my life, I’ve spoken the truth to Nawaz Sharif. There has never been any duplicity in my intentions. My role was the same as the whisperers who would tell Caesar: ‘Caesar you’re human’. I would be the devil’s advocate to Nawaz Sharif.”
Speaking on civil-military relations, Nisar said he had “never compromised on civilian supremacy” even though he had strong ties to the military.
“Ask any general if I’ve ever sought to sacrifice civilian rule for my personal political gains,” “I do whatever it takes to maintain civil-military relations for the sake of supremacy of civilian rule,” he said.
“I want to state unequivocally that I do not desire any position. My character is more important to me,” he said. “If the verdict goes against us, I will not say anything. Don’t expect me to,” he added.
An interior ministry spokesperson on Wednesday, speaking on behalf of Chaudhry Nisar, dismissed media reports stating that efforts were being made to placate the interior minister and that he is angry with the PML-N leadership. Ch. Nisar Ali Khan has said that his loyalty with PML-N is unquestionable.
He said he was one of the founding members of the party and cannot think of harming its interests.
Ch. Nisar Ali Khan said he had a 33 year association with the party and cannot imagine ditching it at this critical juncture.
He said it was a matter of pride for him that even political opponents have publicly declared that Nisar will not leave the party.
The news conference came hours after Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif — the beleaguered Prime Minister’s brother — met Nisar in Islamabad, a second meeting between the two party leaders in less than 24 hours.
Shahbaz Sharif was reportedly accompanied by other PML-N leaders including Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Railway Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique and Minister for Petroleum Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.
“I was told by senior leaders not to do this press conference. I told them I had to,” said the minister.
Pakistan’s top court has reserved its verdict in the case relating to the Sharif family’s alleged illegal offshore wealth revealed by the Panama Papers. Sharif this month dismissed a report from the corruption investigation that raised questions about his wealth as slander.
