SC to announce Panama Papers case verdict on April 20

ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court of Pakistan will announce the verdict of Panama Papers case on April 20, which was reserved on February 23.

According to the cause list, the verdict will be announced at 2PM on April 20.

On February 23, a five-member bench led by Justice Asif Saeed Khosa remarked that it will review all angles of the case in detail and then announce a verdict.

"It will not be short-judgement but a long judgement," the bench maintained.

It all began in April 2016 with a huge leak of 11.5 million documents from the database of a Panama-based law firm, Mossack Fonseca, exposing politicians, celebrities, businessmen and criminals who had set up offshore companies.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his family came under fire at home with opposition parties accusing them of widespread corruption, after names of PM’s children cropped up in the leaked documents from the Panamanian law firm.

Read: Deciphering the digits behind the Supreme Court proceedings

On October 20, 2016, the Supreme Court took up petitions by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Jamaat-e-Islami, Jamhoori Watan Party and others for hearing, in an open court, beginning the long-drawn proceedings of the case in the apex court.

The five-member larger bench of the Supreme Court concluded hearing the Panama Papers case on February 23, and reserved the final judgment. Headed by Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, the larger bench comprised Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan, Justice Gulzar Ahmed, Justice Azmat Saeed and Justice Ijazul Ahsan. 

PTI, PML-N, JI Reaction 

Reacting to the announcement, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Naeem-ul-Haq said that the party is ready to accept the SC’s decision.

“Imran Khan has time and again reiterated that SC is the highest court of the country and the party will accept its decision,” said Naeem-ul-Haq.

A similar stance was also endorsed by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s leader Talal Chaudhry. “We will accept the decision,” he said. 

When asked about the impact the verdict may have on the security situation of the country, Talal Chaudhry remarked that verdict will not disturb peace of the country.

"Those who don’t abide by the law are the ones who disturb the peace," he said, adding that PML-N leaders have acted according to the law.

He also added, “Verdict cannot come against someone whose name is not mentioned in the Panama Leaks.” The verdict will be directed towards the people whose names have come up, he added, hoping that the decision will be in favour on PML-N.

Jamaat-e-Islami chief Sirajul Haq said that the verdict on Panama case would be the most important decision in the history of Pakistan.

He said that the case was between people and the rulers. Haq expressed hope that the decision would uproot corruption from the country.  

He added that the decision will bring an end to the panic present within the masses and will be a catalyst for a big change in the country.