Will accept any verdict given by new SC bench on Panama scandal: Imran

Baldia factory fire culprits should be tried in the military court, says PTI chairman

Hours after Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar constituted a five-judge larger bench to hear the Panamagate case, chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan said he would accept the verdict given by the bench.

"We were confronted with the electoral rigging in 2014 and Panama Papers leaks in 2016 and we can only hope 2017 would not be the same," he said while addressing a press conference in Karachi on Saturday.

Imran added that he hoped the Panama leaks matter "will be done" in January next year. "We welcome the formation of a new bench to hear the case and will accept its decision."



The PTI leader went on to say that he was disappointed with the former chief justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali as the he could have avoided the delay in the hearing but he instead proceeded on vacations.

Chairman @ImranKhanPTI had a meeting with the PTI local govt representatives of Karachi, spoke about Karachi's issues! pic.twitter.com/96LExkprrz

— PTI (@PTIofficial) December 31, 2016

Earlier on Saturday, CJP Saqib Nisar constituted a five-judge larger bench to hear the Panama Paper case.

Regarding Baldia factory fire, Imran said the case should be tried in the military court so that the witnesses can be provided with due protection. "Those responsible for this heinous crime should be given exemplary punishment."

Responding to another question, he ruled out the possibility of an alliance with Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), adding that an honest Inspector General Police (IGP) was removed from his position in Sindh without naming AD Khawaja.



The five-judge bench, headed by Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, will hear the high-profile case on January 4 which includes Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan, Justice Gulzar Ahmad, Justice Azmat Saeed Sheikh and Justice Ijaz ul Ahsan.

The top court in November took up a slew of petitions seeking PM Nawaz Sharif’s disqualification in the wake of Panama Papers, which in April revealed that the PM’s family members had stashed money in offshore companies.

The outgoing chief justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali, who was also heading the bench and conducted 10 hearings of the case, adjourned the case till first week of January. With his retirement the old bench was dissolved.