Panamagate case: SC says does not need consent to form judicial commission

SC bench does not need consent of the parties to form a judicial commission in the matter

ISLAMABAD: The apex court has made it clear that it does not need consent of the rival parties for forming a judicial commission to further probe the Panama Papers scandal.

“The Supreme Court bench does not need consent of the parties to form a judicial commission in the matter,” Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, who heads the Supreme Court’s five-judge larger bench hearing the Panamagate case, said on Wednesday.



Commenting on Awami Muslim League chief Sheikh Rashid’s impassioned arguments seeking justice, Justice Khosa observed that political parties have different interpretations of the concept of justice.

“Political parties are polarised and divided. If the court order comes in their favour then they call it justice, but if the order comes against them then they tend to reject it. The political parties have different perspectives on justice and interpret justice as per their desires. However, justice is what the Constitution says,” Justice Khosa

Earlier, the PTI’s counsel Naeem Bukhari submitted a list of judgments on several law points. After five-days of his arguments, the AML chief presented his oral submissions before the five-judge larger bench.

Rashid is not a practicing lawyer but he cited a number of SC judgments, wherein the court had disqualified lawmakers for not being Sadiq [truthful] and Ameen [trustworthy].  “I believe Panama case is more important than fake degree cases,” he said. He also requested the bench to order a reinvestigation in the Hudaybia Papers mill case.



Meanwhile, PM’s counsel Makhoom Ali Khan started his arguments, raising questions over flaws in the PTI’s petition. “Though the petitioner prayed for placing the name of the PM on the ECL [Exit Control List] but their counsel did not give any single argument on this point,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 12^th, 2017.