ISLAMABAD, August 17: Election Commission of Pakistan has issued notices to Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, Finance Minister Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar, Chief Minister Punjab Mian Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif, Hamza Shahbaz Sharif and captain (retd) Muhammad Safdar and other respondents for 6th September and summoned reply on petitions filed by PPP, PTI, PAT and AML for disqualification of PM Nawaz Sharif and others over Panama paper leaks issue. The commission also issued notice to PTI Senator Liaquat Khan Tarkai over the petition of Awami National Party. All the petitioners completed their arguments after that the commission issued notices to respondents. PTI, PAT and Awami Muslim League seconded the arguments of PPP lawyer.
A full bench of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), headed by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) retired justice Sardar Mohammad Raza Khan, on Wednesday heard identical petitions seeking the disqualification of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and others.
PPP counsel Sardar Latif Khan Khosa in his arguments stated that when the offshore companies were formed, Hussain Nawaz and Maryam Nawaz were minors.
Khosa also said that the Prime Minister had lied when he claimed that he had sold his steel mill in Saudi Arabia to purchase flats in London.
He further said that the Prime Minister had also not disclosed his offshore companies in his nomination papers. Khosa said that the PM was the real owner of the offshore companies hence he had given a false statement.
Latif Khosa also said that the flats in Park Lane were bought in 1993 and 1995. Hence, the statement that the steel mill was sold in Saudi Arabia and then flats in London were bought, was false.
“The PM is actually owner of the companies exposed by Panama Leaks Papers, but he lied and concealed his assets in nomination papers, for which he must be disqualified,” Khosa argued.
Khosa also presented documented evidence before the EC and he protested when journalists were tried to get kicked out of the court over which the EC allowed them to stay.
PTI’s lawyer also contended before the commission, saying that he is agreed with Khosa’s arguments.
At the previous hearing, Captain Safdar had been ordered to file a written reply to the allegations levelled against him, but his counsel had challenged the ECP’s jurisdiction to hear the petition filed by Nawabzada Salahuddin, who had lost Mansehra’s National Assembly seat to Captain Safdar in the 2013 general elections.
While talking to media afterwards Lateef Khosa said that it is EC’s responsibility to catch public representatives not meeting Sections 62 and 63 of the Constitution. Nawaz Sharif has lost the right of representing 220M people. Shaikh Rasheed said that all political parties want justice and if it not found in courts the decisions will be made on roads in September. Earlier, the poll supervisory body had clubbed all petitions filed by PTI, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) and Awami Muslim League (AML) on July 3 and decided to hear them on August 17. – SABAH
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