Panamagate case resumes: First-day hearing brings some relief for PML-N

Ruling party pleasantly surprised as SC bench does not make strong remarks against PM, family

ISLAMABAD: To the ‘pleasant surprise’ of the ruling lot, the apex court on Monday did not make strong remarks against the ruling family in general and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in particular as it took up hearing of Panamagate case after submission of an adverse report by a six-member Joint Investigation Team (JIT).

The PML-N leadership did breathe a sigh of relief. However, the Supreme Court’s observations regarding official documents involving the PM and a UAE-based company, Capital FZE, also stirred the ruler’s concerns.

Sources in the PML-N said the PM, Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif and premier’s close aides monitored the proceedings of the Panamagate case on electronic media at the PM House and also kept receiving updates from the PML-N leaders present inside the court.



The sources said after Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan remarked during the proceedings that the JIT report was not binding on the apex court and it was the top court’s discretion whether to accept or reject the report, a member of the Sharifs’ legal team instantly informed the PM House about the ‘good news,’ which the power corridors perceived as an indication that the apex court was not ‘very tough’ on the given day.

After this report, panic in the ruling camp subsided somewhat. The ruling side, however, fears that a failure on the part of the Sharif family’s legal team to discredit the documents obtained by the JIT about the PM’s ‘employment’ at Capital FZE might carry fatal consequences.

Requesting anonymity, a top PML-N leader admitted that Monday’s proceedings brought some relief to the ruling camp, yet the top court’s observations regarding the official letters establishing PM’s alleged link to Capital FZE were “enough to keep the nightmare going”.



“Just because one day at the court went a bit well doesn’t mean we have a reason to celebrate and sit in peace. It is true that we were a bit too concerned that the top court may exhibit an ‘aggressive’ mood on Monday. That would clearly be an indication that our problems could be far from over.

“But, the proceedings generally went smooth. Still, that is not it. Today (Tuesday) and the days to be followed would be extremely crucial,” the insider said while referring to the Sharif family lawyers who are scheduled to present their arguments before the top court today.

Since July 10, when the JIT report was submitted before the top court, the PM has not attended any public event and is solely focusing on internal consultative sessions with his trusted confidantes.



But the reports received from the power corridors suggest that the premier would shun his ‘isolation’ and start making public appearances, chairing official meet-ups in the ongoing week.

Moreover, the top party leadership has also tasked the PML-N Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chapter President Ameer Muqam to ensure presence of workers in good numbers from the province in support of the PM.

Muqam has been assigned this responsibility after the PML-N’s high command reportedly expressed its dissatisfaction over performance of the party’s federal and Rawalpindi chapters over their failure in the recent past to ensure that party activists in considerable number rally behind PM Nawaz.