ISLAMABAD, November 17: Supreme Court of Pakistan Thursday warned Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to face the consequences if misstatement is proved in his address at National Assembly as it was an address the nation.
Hearing landmark Panamagate case, judges of the larger bench said, “The Prime Minister addressed the nation at the floor of the Parliament. If misstatement was proved true, the consequences will have to be faced. The PM’s second address to the nation seems to have political overtones.”
Arguing before the five-judge bench, the PTI’s counsel Hamid Khan spoke about the Prime Minister’s addresses as evidences.
Khan submitted the PM did not make any mention of London estate and Dubai investment in his address, nor did he tell nation about sale of assets in Saudi Arabia and purchase of London flats.
There is no information as to where Hassan and Hussain Nawaz are and what they are doing, he added.
Reacting to his arguments, Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed remarked, “Based on the contradictions in the PM’s statements, the court cannot declare the London flats were purchased with black money.”
“We will go overboard to vet the allegations completely,” he resolved.
Meantime, Justice Asif Saeed Khosa said the court is not supposed to scrutinize someone’s entire life and the judges are putting in all the more efforts than lawyers in the case for an early ruling.
Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed said to Hamid Khan, “This is your case but you are politicizing, as you addressed the nation more than you talked to the court. The court called upon you to concentrate on the case.”
Stories are passing through turns and twists and court is fully cognizant of the fact, he added.
Short of two judges at the bench, the court adjourned hearing till November 30. -Agencies
