20 Saturday, July 29, 2017 S. Court disqualifies

Pakistani Prime Minister (C) looks on after inspecting a guard of honour during a welcoming ceremony PM sharif at the Prime Minister’s House in Islamabad (file photo) Islamabad minister spiralled from the Panama under the Constitution to ensure “Not a single penny of corruption undisclosed links between Sharif akistan’s Supreme Court Papers leak last year, which sparked the continuation of the democratic has been proved in this decision and companies in the UAE, sparked yesterday disqualified Prime a media frenzy over details of the system”. against Nawaz Sharif and the people an uproar, with the scandal playing PMinister Nawaz Sharif from public lavish lifestyles and luxury London The push against Sharif has of Pakistan also know it,” information out on the country’s frenetic news office over long-running corruption property portfolio of the Sharif been spearheaded by cricketer- minister Maryam Aurangzeb told channels. allegations, a decision that ousts him . turned-politician Imran Khan reporters after the decision. Attention focused on the from the premiership for the third Those claims prompted an and his Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf The court has asked the national investigation’s conclusion that time. investigation which said there was a party. anti-corruption bureau to launch a documents regarding Sharif’s The ruling saw political instability “significant disparity” between the “I want to tell the nation that it further probe into the allegations, daughter and some of the family’s take hold in Pakistan once again, family’s income and lifestyle, and is a huge victory of yours,” Khan which could see criminal charges London properties were “falsified” -- dissolving Cabinet and leaving the unearthed fresh claims over Sharif’s told reporters at his home outside brought against the Sharifs. dated 2006, but typed in Microsoft’s country without a sitting prime links to companies based in the Islamabad Friday, adding that he was The controversy erupted last Calibri font, which was not released minister. United Arab Emirates. “extremely pleased”. year with the publication of 11.5 for commercial use until 2007. The General elections are scheduled The court cited the UAE “I am seeing the destination of million secret documents from Supreme Court’s judgement Friday for next year, but Sharif now falls allegations in its ruling Friday, a new Pakistan in front of me,” he Panamanian law firm Mossack was typed in Calibri. short of becoming the first premier declaring they indicated Sharif was said, announcing a rally to be held Fonseca documenting the offshore Graft is endemic in Pakistan, to complete a full five-year term. “not honest” as it brought his tenure on Sunday. dealings of many of the world’s rich with the country coming in 116th As the verdict was announced in to an unceremonious end. and powerful. place out of 176 countries ranked Islamabad, opposition supporters “He is disqualified as a member of Family fortunes and ‘fontgate’ Three of Sharif’s four children -- according to corruption levels by rushed into the street chanting the parliament so he has ceased to be Karachi-based political commentator Maryam and his sons Hasan and Transparency International in slogans and handing out sweets in holding the office of Prime Minister,” Farooq Moin said the judgement was Hussein -- were implicated in the 2017. celebration. Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan told the “historic”. papers. Sharif has been ousted by Hundreds also took to the streets packed courtroom in Islamabad. “The situation is quite fluid and At the heart of the case was the corruption allegations once before, in northwestern Peshawar, beating Sharif’s ruling PML-N party it is difficult to say at the moment legitimacy of the funds used by the when he was sacked by the country’s drums and distributing money and confirmed he had stepped down whether there will be snap elections to purchase several then-president during his first term sweets while chanting “Go Nawaz with “serious reservations”, a move or an interim government will be high-end London properties via in 1993. He was removed from office Go”. which automatically dissolves formed,” he told AFP, though he offshore companies. in his second term by a military coup But in , capital of Sharif’s Cabinet. added chances were “bright” that The Supreme Court had in April in 1999. power base of Punjab province, The party currently has no clear Sharif’s PML-N would form a new declared there was “insufficient Sharif’s ousting comes as the sporadic protests broke out, with his successor in place. The Supreme government. evidence” to oust Sharif over civilian government appears to have supporters burning tyres and locking Court called on President Mamnoon The Sharifs and their allies have the allegations, and ordered an reached an uneasy detente with the streets. Hussain, who swears in the prime consistently and noisily rejected the investigation. military, which has ruled Pakistan The allegations against the prime minister, to take the “necessary steps graft claims against them. Its findings, including previously for half of its existence. (AFP)

Activists of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PNL-N) protest the Supreme Court (SC) Activists of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party gather to celebrate the Supreme Court decision against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, in Lahore (SC) decision against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, in Peshawar