ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Tuesday adjourned hearing of four identical petitions filed by PTI and others seeking investigation of alleged involvement of Prime Minister and his family members in the Panama Leaks till Nov 3.
The court directed counsels of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) and other parties to submit written response on Thursday regarding finalisation of Terms of Reference (TOR) for the formation of a commission to probe the issue of Panama Papers leaks.
A five-member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali and comprising Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, Justice Amir Hani Muslim, Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed and Justice Ijazul Hassan heard the case filed by Advocate Tariq Asad, Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) chief Sirajul Haq, PTI chief Imran Khan and chief Awami Muslim League (AML) Sheikh Rashid Ahmed seeking investigation of offshore investment made by Pakistanis and family of Prime Minister.
The court directed the parties to submit their Terms of Reference (TOR) on the formation of a commission to probe the Panama Papers leaks. The bench observed that if the parties did not agree on TOR, then it would draft its own TOR. “The commission will report to the Supreme Court and it will hold powers equal to the Supreme Court,” it added.
During the course of proceedings, Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali remarked that they had to save the country from unrest and crises. The Chief Justice observed that the Panama Papers issue has affected the entire country.
Justice Asif Saeed Khosa remarked that the apex court was the supreme forum to resolve conflicts. He remarked that the court would not prolong the matter.
Eelier, the court directed both the parties petitioners and respondents to submit their replies after consulting with their respective parties on the formation of a commission and suspended the hearing for two hours and said the court would decide who would be the head and members of the commission.
When the court resumed hearing of the case after the break, all the parties submitted their written replies on the formation of judicial commission.
Advocate Salman Aslam Butt counsel for the Prime Minister and his family appeared before the court and informed that the Prime Minister would accept the Judicial Commission. If the allegations against him were proved then he would accept legal consequences, he said.
He said that the Prime Minister agreed to the proposed investigation regarding the London’s properties and formation of Judicial Commission to investigate offshore companies.
