ISLAMABAD, December 9: The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Friday adjourned the hearing of Panama Papers case till first week of January. A new bench will hear the case from the beginning after Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali’s retirement on December 30.
The decision came a day after Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and Awami Muslim League (AML) rejected a judicial commission proposed by the top court for probing the high-profile scandal.
“The court will continue hearing the Panamagate case since there is no consensus on the formation of a judicial commission,” said Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali after briefly hearing the arguments.
“Have no issue in taking decision of case without commission,” the CJP said. “All parties should get equal sufficient opportunity. This hearing should not be considered partial hearing,” he added.
During the hearing of the case, the Chief Justice said there are two days left before his reference and then there will be winter vacations for the judges. He said, therefore, the bench will be reconstituted to hear the case.
Incoming Chief Justice Saqib Nisar will have the power to reconstitute the bench. Currently, CJP Jamali is heading a larger five-member bench comprising Justice Asif Saeed Khan Khosa, Justice Amir Hani Muslim, Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed and Justice Ijazul Ahsan.
Earlier, the legal team of the Sharif family supported the idea of the formation of commission on Panama Papers issue. Salman Butt and Akram Sheikh said it is up to the court to decide as to how the investigation may be carried forward.
On the other hand, PTI chief Imran Khan’s lawyer Naeem Bukhari opposed the decision to form judicial commission. “PTI will not accept the formation of a commission and if the court constitutes it then we will boycott proceedings,” Bukhari told the five-member bench.
Earlier on Tuesday, the chief justice observed that the SC bench still open to the option to form a commission to examine relevant evidences, adding they would form the commission whenever it would be needed.-DNA
