Nisar orders heightened security around Supreme Court

Rangers to assist Islamabad police in ensuring high-security at SC and across capital

ISLAMABAD: As Pakistan braces for the Supreme Court’s decision over Panama Papers leaks at 2pm on Thursday, the interior ministry has issued orders directing administration in the capital to ensure tight security checks at the top court.

Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar has directed the Islamabad administration to deploy Rangers personnel at the SC and its adjoining areas to meet any untoward situation once the long-awaited verdict is out, Radio Pakistan reported.



In a statement issued by the interior ministry on Thursday, Nisar said that only those who have passes or security cards issued by the SC registrar would be allowed to enter the court premises.

According to the interior minister, Rangers have been asked to assist Islamabad police in ensuring high-security at the SC and across the capital today.

The Supreme Court is set to determine Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s fate on Thursday with a ruling on corruption allegations after the Panama Papers linked his family to offshore businesses.

The controversy erupted with the publication of the Panama Papers last year, 11.5 million secret documents from Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca which documented the offshore dealings of many of the world's rich and powerful.

Among the global elite implicated were three of Sharif's four children - his daughter and presumptive political heir Maryam, and his sons Hasan and Hussein.



At the heart of the matter is the legitimacy of the funds used by the Sharif family to purchase several high-end London properties via offshore companies.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party insists that the wealth was acquired legally through family businesses in Pakistan and the Gulf.