Panama Papers: LHC wants larger SC bench to hear leaks pleas

LAHORE: A division bench of the Lahore High Court, while referring petitions against the Sharif family for their alleged ownership of offshore companies to the chief justice of Pakistan, on Wednesday requested him to form a larger bench to hear the case.

The bench headed by Justice Mirza Waqas Rauf observed that in view of the significance of the matter, some important questions have been raised in them; therefore, it should be taken up by a larger bench.



The bench passed this order in a petition filed by Muhammad Munir.

Earlier, Advocate Azhar Siddique, who represented the petitioner, argued that the matter of the Panama leaks was sensitive and said that it needed to be investigated without delay. He said allegations about the country’s rulers owning offshore companies had maligned the country’s reputation abroad.



Siddique said several applications had been filed to the NAB chairperson to take action against the prime minister, his family members and all others named in the leaks. However, no enquiry had been initiated into the matter.

He said NAB had no reason to initiate investigations after the chief justice of Pakistan refused to constitute a judicial commission, observing that first a consensus between the government and the opposition over the terms of reference (ToRs) had to be achieved.



Siddique said Section 18 of the NAB ordinance empowered the bureau to initiate enquiry into any matter on its own. The lawyer asked the court to direct NAB to initiate an investigation into the allegations of offshore companies set up and owned by leaders.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 6^th, 2016.