Panama scandal tarnished judiciary’s image: Bilawal

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said on Sunday that the Panama Leaks scandal had tarnished the image of the judiciary.

He said the Panama Leaks issue had damaged the judiciary more than the executive and the parliament. “Panama leaks tarnished reputation of judiciary more than executive or Parliament. Our system is broken. We must work together to fix it,” he said in a tweet.

His words came as the Supreme Court adjourned the hearing in the Panama Leaks case till the first week of January. Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali, who was heading a five-member SC bench hearing the case- will retire on December 30 and will be replaced by Justice Saqib Nisar. A new SC bench will hear the case after the new chief justice takes the oath. The Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf has hinted to take to approach masses if they did not get justice. Justice Jamali has, however, said the courts cannot issue verdicts to please everyone. He said that pressure on courts was unacceptable.

The Supreme Court is hearing Panama Leaks case involving Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his family for having off-shore properties.

Bilawal has already given an ultimatum to the government to accept his four demands - immediate appointment of a permanent foreign minister, implementation of an all-party passed resolution on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor’s western route, passage of the draft Panama bill and reconstitution of the parliamentary committee on national security – by December 27 or the party will launch an anti-government protest campaign.

The PPP chairman has also formed a “four demands implementation committee” headed by former premier Yousaf Raza Gilani.

The Sharif family landed in trouble after leaked documents from the Mossack Fonseca law firm revealed in April that that the prime minister’s sons Hassan Nawaz Sharif and Hussain Nawaz Sharif and daughter Maryam Nawaz Sharif, own at least three offshore holdings registered in the British Virgin Islands and these assets were not mentioned on his family’s wealth statement. The leaked documents identified the firms as three British Virgin Islands-based companies Nescoll Ltd, Nielsen Enterprises Ltd and Hangon Property Holdings Ltd, incorporated respectively in 1993, 1994 and 2007.

There were allegations that these companies had been used to channel funds to acquire foreign assets, including some apartments along Park Lane in London’s Mayfair area.

PM Sharif and his family maintain they had done nothing illegal but opposition parties claim the Sharif family had siphoned off billions of rupees out of the country illegally.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz senior leader Tehmina Doltana said the premier and his family have presented themselves for accountability but some opposition politicians were unnecessarily creating hype.

“The PM is ready for his accountability even though his name is not mentioned in the Panama Papers or any other corruption case. He has also offered his family for a fair accountability. The opposition should wait for a verdict from the Supreme Court. We should not create an undue hype,” she said.

Doltana said the government wanted to work for the prosperity of the nation but the opponents were hell bent to drag the country to uncertainty. “They should wait for the 2018 elections to know their popularity. They should also have faith in Supreme Court,” she added.