Behold the Godfather

The verdict on the Panama Papers case came in the middle of our National Media Conference – the first day of the conference was April 20. Knowing full well that any journalist worth their salt would rather be listening to the verdict and the post-verdict situation live, we live-streamed it into our main venue - the 400 plus-seater Jahangir Siddiqui auditorium at the IBA City Campus in Karachi. It was a much appreciated decision.

Imagine the buzz of excitement as almost 200 journalists and media students sat and watched the events unfold live at an auditorium with cinema screen viewing.

The setting was apt as it was indeed drama taking place. The mood of the screening was helped of course by the court’s reference to Mario Puzo’s novel Godfather in the Panama Papers verdict.



The 540-page verdict begins with the quote from Puzo’s novel: “Behind every great fortune there is a crime”, originally attributed to 19th-century French writer Honoré de Balzac. Needless to say most of the journalists in the auditorium, many of whom were not even born when the Godfather hit the screens across the world - did not get the reference. At least not initially.

It is difficult to imagine our prime minister as Marlon Brando. But at the same time, some political parties are increasingly being run as mafia-style family operations.

We are told that the Sharif family is not amused. As opposition parties, in particular the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, latched onto the analogy to drive home the allegations of corruption, several PML-N leaders have since then spoken out against the choice of words used.

Punjab Law minister Rana Sanaullah has led this charge naturally by saying that the reference to the Godfather in the [Panama Papers] judgment is “disturbing.” He also said that the government is considering filing a review against such remarks in the apex court.  “We seek guidance from [the] Quran, not the Godfather” is how the Punjab law minister summed it up. One can only pray that this were true.



Saner elements within the party, however, are cautioning against any move to file a review. In an interview, Salman Akram Raja, who was counsel for the Sharif family in the Panama Papers case, said that there are several examples in our judicial history of expunging such remarks. But at the same time, many argue this could open a Pandora’s box and the Sharif family, whose case this actually is and not of the PML-N or the government as it is made out to be, are already walking a tight-rope.

On that fated day of the judgment, most journalists were expecting that the superior court would either order the prime minister to step down or to give orders for such an eventuality to happen. When the decision was handed down, one could see the relief on the faces of PML-N leaders and workers, who saw it as a new lease in the political lives. In the same manner, many journalists looked disappointed, as they had been robbed of a good story. But legal minds say that it’s not all over yet.  In fact, it may be the beginning.

The whole judgment is full of adverse remarks about Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and departments like NAB, FBR and others working under the PM. It is not some kind of an error in judgement that the premier is seeking to expunge, say legal experts. The premier has been declared dishonest and untrustworthy in the judgment unanimously by all judges on the bench.



In many ways it is an unprecedented decision. This is the first time in the history of Pakistan that the SC [has] made such remarks about a sitting prime minister of the country. It is also for the first time in Pakistan’s history that a sitting prime minister will appear before a joint investigation team (JIT) probing allegations of financial misconduct against him. This goes a long way to show the independence of the judiciary and also helps in the strengthening of the country’s fragile democratic disposition.

Many pro-democracy activists welcomed the decision by the Supreme Court as it is clearly seen to favour the continuation of the democratic order but not that of corrupt politicians. There may still be hope that some example is set for others to follow in the future.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 1^st, 2017.

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