ECP issues notices to PM Nawaz over opposition's disqualification petition

Top electoral body seeks responses of all those named in petition on allegedly hiding offshore wealth

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Wednesday issued notices to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, his son-in-law Captain (retd) Safdar Hussain and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar over disqualification petitions filed by opposition parties, including Pakistan Tehreek-e-Inaf (PTI).

The top electoral body has sought responses by September 6 from all those named in the petitions for allegedly hiding their offshore wealth, sources told The Express Tribune.

Earlier, the poll supervisory body had clubbed all petitions filed by PTI, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) and Awami Muslim League (AML) on July 3 and decided to hear them on August 17.



Through these petitions, these political parties have sought disqualification of PM Nawaz and his close relatives for not declaring their offshore money that has been revealed in Panama Papers.

Besides the prime minister, his son-in-law Captain (retd) Muhammad Safdar, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and his son Hamza Shahbaz and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar are named as respondents in the petitions.

Filed in June amid much media hype, the petitions could not be heard for almost two months because the ECP had become non-functional with the retirement of its four members not being met.

The Panama Papers scandal erupted in April, when media outlets around the world published details on dodgy offshore financial dealings gleaned from millions of leaked documents from Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca. The leaked documents showed several world leaders as well as the premier’s three children – sons, Hassan and Hussain, and his daughter, Maryam – owning at least three offshore holding companies registered in the British Virgin Islands.