Nawaz Sharif challenges Panamagate verdict, files 3 petitions in SC

Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif on 15 August has filed three separate petitions in the Supreme Court of Pakistan to challenge the July 28 Panamagate verdict, which disqualified him from holding any office.

Sharif's lawyer Khuwaja Harris submitted the three review appeals, in reply to the petitions filed by Imran Khan, Sheikh Rashid and Sirajul Haq. The five-member apex bench that took the unanimous July 28 decision last month will hear the review petition.

The five-member bench of the top court had disqualified Nawaz from the PM's office for failing to declare a salary, which he had not withdrawn as an executive of Dubai-based company, as an asset when filing his nomination papers in 2013.

In his 34-page application, Nawaz has requested the Supreme Court to review its judgement as the petitions submitted by him also includes relevant documents concerning the iqama, a United Arab Emirates work visa, that led the judges to declare Nawaz "unfit to hold office".

He argued that he did not conceal the documents in his nomination papers for the 2013 polls, which became the ground for his disqualification, was not included in any of the petitions against Sharif, therefore, the bench did not have any authority to rule over it.

He mentioned in the application that under Article 188 of the Constitution, he cannot be disqualified without a trial. Being deprived of the right to appeal against the verdict is in violation of the Constitution, the Express Tribune quoted him as saying.

The bench had also directed NAB to file references against Nawaz, his sons Hassan Nawaz, Hussain Nawaz, daughter Maryam Nawaz, son-in-law Captain (retd) Muhammad Safdar and then finance minister Ishaq Dar.

-ANI