Political parties hold meetings ahead of Panama case verdict

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan will announce its verdict in the Panama leaks case on April 20 at 2 PM.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) are holding meetings ahead of the verdict.

Read: What will Panama judgement entail? 

‘Not waiting for any decision’

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif told a meeting of PML-N leaders that he was not waiting for any decision, sources informed Geo News.

The prime minister stressed that they were elected by the people to work, not to wait on decisions. “I am working and will continue to work,” the PM was quoted by sources.

Prime Minister Sharif in a message aimed at those attending the meetings, said that elections in Pakistan will be held as per the schedule in 2018.

He was also critical of the performance of the PPP in Sindh, stating that the party in the last eight years had not done anything in the province.

Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar said that Zardari and ‘his gang’ had kept the people of Sindh in a stranglehold.

PM Nawaz says elections will be held in 2018

PTI will go to the public

The central leadership of the PTI met under party chief Imran Khan and discussed the party’s course of action following the Panama case verdict.

According to sources, the party has decided to go to the public irrespective of what the verdict is. The leadership of the party has also recommended holding a rally at the Parade Ground in Islamabad.

PTI leaders have recommended holding a rally in Islamabad

 

PPP to form grand opposition alliance after verdict

Pakistan People's Party (PPP) has decided to form a grand opposition alliance after the verdict.

Sources said that PPP co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari chairing a party meeting on Wednesday said that they don’t have high expectations from the verdict.

The sources said that PPP had decided to form a grand opposition alliance after the Panama verdict. Zardari said that the PPP would not take solo flight but take all the opposition parties into confidence after the Panama decision.

The former president said that a befitting response would also be given to the decision.

During the meeting, it was decided to launch a mass contact drive in the country while a formal approval was also given to start protests against load-shedding.

Earlier, speaking to Geo.Tv, Senator and former Ambassador to the US Sherry Rehman said "If the judgement is a slap on the wrist it will show that there is one kind of justice reserved for the Sharif family and another for the Pakistan Peoples Party" the Senator said citing disqualification of Yousuf Raza Gilani as prime minister during the PPP's tenure.

The party’s legal advisers have also been asked to stay in the capital.

Panama leaks case

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.

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.