Pakistan SC accepts Nawaz Sharif family's plea against disqualification in Panama Papers scandal

Islamabad: Pakistan's Supreme Court on Tuesday accepted a plea to form a five-judge bench to hear the review petitions of ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif, his children, son-in-law and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar challenging his disqualification in the Panama Papers scandal.

The separate petitions were filed by Sharif and his family against the judgement on July 28 that disqualified 67- year-old Sharif for dishonesty and ruled that corruption cases be filed against his family and Dar over the scandal.

Sharif, his daughter Maryam, sons Hussain and Hasan, son-in-law Muhammad Safdar and Dar in their petitions asked the court to review the judgement as it violated several provision of law.

A three-member bench headed by Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan and comprising Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed and Justice Ijazul Ehsan too up the petitions.

Lawyer of Sharif's children Salman Akram Raja asked the bench to make a large bench as the decision was issued by five-members and three-member panel was not empowered to hear the review petitions.

He referred to a written plea already submitted by Sharif's children against the hearing of review petition by a three-member bench instead of a five-judge bench.

After preliminary argument, the judges accepted the plea and announced to ask the Chief Justice to from a five-member panel for the hearing of review petition.

The panel postponed further hearing till tomorrow.

Sharif's lawyer Khawaja Harris was also present during the hearing and argued in favour of a larger bench.

Following the judegment, National Accountability Bureau has filed four corruption cases against them last week.

The five-member bench unanimously disqualified Sharif for failing to disclose his un-withdrawn receivables salary from the UAE-based Capital FZE company of his son.