Pakistan

PML-N, PTI brace for Panama leaks hearing

Imran Khan likely to witness proceedings on Thursday

Hasnaat Malik October 19, 2016

The three-judge bench, headed by CJP Anwar Zaheer Jamali, will take up the five constitutional petitions on the Panamagate issue. PHOTO: FILE

ISLAMABAD: As PML-N and PTI get into a showdown before the Supreme Court, legal minds of both the parties have started their preparation to plead Panama leaks issue before the apex court, which is taking up five different petitions on the issue tomorrow (Thursday).

PTI Chief Imran Khan is likely to come in the apex court tomorrow to witness the court’s proceedings on his petition, seeking disqualification of the prime minister and his family for their alleged involvement in the Panamagate scandal. A senior leader of the PTI confirmed to The Express Tribune that the party’s chairman will come in the apex court tomorrow (Thursday) to witness the proceedings.

The leader believed that Imran’s presence in the courtroom will have significant impact on the proceedings. “Party leaders think chairman [Imran] should attend all the hearings of the case as he did during the proceedings of inquiry commission, which probed rigging in the general elections,” he added.

Another senior PTI leader Ishaq Khan Khakwani said that there were high chances that Imran would attend SC’s hearing. The party chairman is also likely to visit Multan today (Wednesday) to address the lawyers in the bar association.

He said that the party’s legal team will also meet today to chalk out a strategy.

On the other hand, the PML-N legal team has also started its preparation and copies of all five petitions have been obtained by Law Minister Zahid Hamid to study their formulations.

A senior official disclosed that presently, law minister, Attorney General for Pakistan Ashtar Ausaf Ali and ex-AGP Salman Alslam Butt are closely examining the petitions. He added that it was expected that senior lawyer Khalid Anwar could be later approached to present the case on behalf of the party.

PPP Secretary General Latif Khosa while talking to The Express Tribune said they were closely examining the situation on Panama Leaks issue but were “not interested to move a petition in the apex court”.

“We believe Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is the proper forum to disqualify the prime minister,” he said.

The three-judge bench, headed by CJP Anwar Zaheer Jamali, will take up the five constitutional petitions on the Panamagate issue.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 19^th, 2016.