ISLAMABAD: As the Supreme Court concluded its fifth and final hearing session in Panama Papers case, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan asserted that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has to step down from his office as he is left with no other alternative option.
The PTI chairman was chairing a meeting of party leaders and his legal team to mull the top court’s judgment in the Panama Papers case when he said: “PTI will restrain the ruling party from provoking chaos and anarchy in the country in case if the PM gets disqualified.”
The meeting was attended by PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Jahanghir Tareen, Naeemul Haq, Arif Alvi, Shafqat Mahmood and Awami Muslim League leader Sheikh Rasheed.
Earlier, the apex court reserved its judgment. The three-member Panamagate implementation bench observed that matters pertaining to the PM’s disqualification would be evaluated.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif also chaired an important meeting of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders at Prime Minister House following the conclusion of the hearing and the court’s announcement of reserving its verdict.
Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, federal ministers, legal advisers and law experts attended the meeting.
According to sources, the participants expressed their confidence in PM Nawaz Sharif and agreed that the premier should not resign. However, the party leadership affirmed accepting the apex court’s judgment in the case.
The Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali was conspicuous for his absence in the meeting, sources said. The minister was reportedly present in the Punjab House where he was dealing with ‘routine official work’.
