Thanksgiving prayers will be offered today: Asad Umar

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Asad Umar said the prayers to thank Allah Almighty will be offered today.

Talking to media while on way to the Supreme Court of Pakistan, Asad Umar said it will be day of justice and masses.

Panama Case Verdict

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan has announced that it will announce the much-awaited verdict in the Panama Papers case today (Friday).

According to details, the decision in the Prime Minister�s disqualification case will be announced by the Supreme Court this morning at 11:30 am.

The decision will be announced by the five-member larger bench of the apex court. Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, Justice Gulzar Ahmad, Justice Ijaz Afzal, Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed and Ijaz-ul-Ahsan are part of the bench.

The three member implementation bench of the apex court had reserved the decision on July 21.

LIVE UPDATES

11:27am: The court room, from which the verdict is to be announced, is packed to capacity.

11:25am: The hearing of all cases, scheduled for today, have been adjourned.

11:24am: Pushing and shoving reported outside the premises of the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

11:20am: Political leaders of different political parties arrived at the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

Timeline: Panama Papers case

April 3, 2016 - Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his family came under spotlight after the Panama Papers (11.5 million secret documents) were released by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists which revealed a sensational tax heaven leak.

April 5, 2016 � Prime Minister Sharif addressed the nation and announced to set up a judicial probe to investigate the money trail of offshore firms owned by his family.

April 22, 2016 � In a second televised address to the nation, PM Sharif said he will resign and go home if proven guilty by the Panama Papers probe.

September 30, 2016, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) demands PM�s resignation. Thousands of PTI supporters staged a sit-in at Raiwand and called for PM Sharif�s resignation.

October 20, 2016 � The Supreme Court of Pakistan accepted petitions filed by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf, Jamhoori Watan Party, Jamaat-i-Islami and others to begin proceedings on Panama case in an open court after protets by the opposition parties.

November 7, 2016 - Maryam Nawaz, Hassan Nawaz and Hussain Nawaz submitted their replies to the Court which stated that Sharif�s two sons have been living outside Pakistan for long and their father has no involvement in children�s businesses or properties. It added that Maryam is not the beneficiary owner of offshore companies Nielsen and Nescoll, but only a trustee.

November 16, 2016 � Qatar Prince�s letter is presented in the apex court in which he claims that the London properties were purchased through the settlement of accounts between his family�s company and the Sharif family.

January 4, 2017 - A new Supreme Court bench resumes hearing. The hearing of the Panamagate case resumed after Chief Justice Jamali�s retirement halted proceedings on December 9, 2016. The five-member bench, headed by Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, takes up the case.

February 23, 2017 � The Supreme Court hearings conclude; judgement awaited. After prolonged hearing, the Supreme Court reserved its verdict on the case and issued a detailed judgement to be announced in April.

April 20, 2017 � Supreme Court announces a 3-2 split in favour of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and set up a JIT to investigate the money trail of the properties owned by the ruling famil.

May 5, 2017 - Supreme Court sets up a 6-member committee to investigate the money trail of flats owned by the ruling family in London.

July 10, 2017 - The JIT investigating the money trail submitted a damning final report in the Supreme Court

July 21, 2017 - A three-member implementation bench of the Supreme Court reserved its verdict after hearing arguments from all sides.

July 28, 2017 - A five memeber bench is set to announce the final Panama Case verdict. Souce: SAMAA

Panama case: PM in or out, SC decides today

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court will today (Friday) announce its verdict in the Panama case related to the allegations against the Sharif family for their alleged money laundering and establishing properties abroad and the people of the country will know whether Nawaz Sharif will remain the prime minister of Pakistan or not.

According to the cause list issued on Thursday, a five-member larger bench of the apex court, headed by Justice Asif Saeed Khan Khosa and including Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan, Justice Gulzar Ahmed, Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed and Justice Ijazul Ahsen, will announce the judgment at 11:30am.

A three-member special implementation bench on the Panama verdict, headed by Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan and comprising Justice Azmat Saeed and Justice Ijazul Ahsen on July 21, had reserved the judgment with the ruling to look into the matter of disqualification of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, saying that fundamental rights of both the petitioners and respondents would be fully protected.

Similarly, the five-member bench of the apex court, headed by Justice Asif Saeed Khan Khosa, had announced its judgment on April 20.

In a 3-2 split decision, thejudgment on April 20.

In a 3-2 split decision, the majority judges determined that the available evidence was insufficient to disqualify the prime minister outright and directed for the formation of a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to probe the case and collect evidence, if any, showing that Nawaz Sharif or any of his dependents or benamidar owns, possesses or acquired assets or any interest therein disproportionate to their known means of income.

Two judges -- Justice Asif Saeed Khan Khosa and Justice Gulzar Ahmed -- had recommended disqualification of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. The court had directed Nawaz Sharif, his sons, Hussain Nawaz and Hassan Nawaz, respondents No 1, 7 and 8 to appear and associate themselves with the JIT as and when required.

Later on, a six-member JIT was formed by the implementation bench on Panama verdict which included Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Additional Director General Wajid Zia, Military Intelligence�s Brigadier Kamran Khurshid, National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Director Irfan Naeem Mangi, State Bank of Pakistan�s Amer Aziz, Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) Executive Director Bilal Rasool and Inter-Services Intelligence�s Brigadier Muhammad Nauman Saeed.

The JIT members during the seven-week period interrogated eight members of Sharif family including Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, his younger brother Shahbaz Sharif, sons Hassan and Hussain Nawaz, daughter Maryam Nawaz, son-in-law Captain Safdar, cousin Tariq Shafi, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Chairman NAB etc and submitted its report on July 10.

In its report, the JIT on July 10 found the family of living beyond means, concealment of facts and being beneficial owners of multiple offshore companies and recommended initiation of reference against the PM and members of the ruling family in the NAB.

The report highlighted the failure of the Sharif family to provide a money trail for its London apartments and claimed the prime minister and his children own assets beyond their known sources of income.

Maryam Nawaz accused of submitting false documents to JIT

ISLAMABAD: The Panamagate joint investigation team (JIT) has accused Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif�s daughter, Maryam Nawaz, of submitting fake documents. 

According to the JIT report, she and her brothers Hussain and Hassan Nawaz, as well as her husband retired Captain Mohammad Safdar, had signed falsified documents to mislead the Supreme Court.

�The trust declaration documents, presented by Ms Maryam Safdar to the JIT as well as the photocopies of these documents submitted in the Honourable Supreme Court of Pakistan are fake and fabricated documents,� the JIT stated.

Meanwhile, Maryam on Monday rejected the JIT report.

PTI & PPP ask PM to step down

ISLAMABAD/KARACHI: 

After unveiling of the JIT�s report, both the two major opposition parties � PTI and PPP � on Monday demanded that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif must immediately resign, with the PTI chief Imran Khan also calling for putting names of the PM and his family members on the no-fly list.

�This is game, set and match. Now, it is a matter of time to see when they will leave the PM House. I will say [names of] entire [Sharif] family needs to be put on the Exit Control List,� Imran told a press conference shortly after the Supreme Court made the JIT report public.

Jang Group served notice by top court over controversial story

Flanked by senior party leadership, Imran congratulated the nation: �Now, the PTI does not need a street movement; rather the party will soon have to hold street celebrations.�

Before holding the press talk, the PTI chief chaired a consultative meeting attended by senior party leaders. In the meeting, the PTI�s legal team briefed the participants on the JIT report.

�He [Nawaz Sharif] has been declared a criminal. The next Monday (when SC will hold hearing of the case) is too far away. What morality does he have to sit in the Prime Minister�s office?� Imran Khan questioned, adding that the PTI had brought the �ruling mafia� under the laws of Pakistan.

Imran said the JIT report vindicated the PTI stance that it was extremely difficult to carry out this investigation against Nawaz Sharif as multiple attempts were made to obstruct justice.

�They [Sharifs] misused institutions to save their skins. They blackmailed and coerced institutions and tried to undermine their credibility to hide their corruption,� he said, adding that his family and the PTI workers were also targeted when they raised voice against injustice and corruption.

He said after the release of JIT report, the National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq should also resign, as in the past when the PTI asked him to send a reference against the PM, he [Sadiq] �in an attempt to blackmail� sent a reference to the ECP against him [Imran].

�What credibility does he [Sadiq] have now? They (the ruling party) tried to blackmail us in the assembly as well. They are rightfully named the godfathers as they blackmail and coerce and have been doing so for 30 years,� Imran added.

He once again criticised owner of the Jang/Geo group, Mir Shakil-ur-Rehman, saying the SC decision about the group and its owner and publisher was commendable and endorsed the PTI�s long-standing stance over the issue.

�I am so happy Mir Shakil has been brought to this point today as well where contempt notices are issued to him [and his group]. The Jang group has tried to save a criminal by printing stories to discredit the JIT,� he said, adding: �Mir Shakil is fully complicit in these attempts to obstruct justice.�

PML-N bins the report as a �piece of trash�

Imran was of the view that today�s SC proceedings and presentation of the JIT report before it was the beginning of a New Pakistan where the law would be equal for all and the powerful would be held to account under the law.

�If the Supreme Court was not independent today we would see them [the PML-N] attacking it again. But the nation set a precedent during the lawyers movement and they know the nation will not let anything happen to our courts,� Khan said.

Talking about a defamation case filed against him by Punjab CM Shehbaz Sharif, Imran said the CM should be ashamed of himself as he was member of a corrupt family.

JIT recommends filing of reference against PM Nawaz, daughter and sons with NAB

ISLAMABAD: The Joint Investigation Team (JIT) , constituted by the Supreme Court, submitted its report on Monday recommending that a reference be filed with the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his family after disparities were found between their known source of income and the family�s actual wealth.

The JIT recommends filing of the reference under Section 9 of NAB Ordinance 1999 against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, daughter Maryam Nawaz and sons Hasan and Hussain Nawaz.

"Significant gap/disparity among the known and declared sources of income and the wealth accumulated by the Respondent No. 1, 6, 7 and 8 have been observed," said the investigation team in its closing remarks.

In the report, Respondent 1 refers to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Respondent 6 refers to Maryam Nawaz, Respondent 7 refers to Hussain Nawaz and Respondent 8 to Hasan Nawaz.

�The financial structure and health of the companies in Pakistan having linkages to the Respondents also do not substantiate the wealth of Respondents,� added the document.  

"Moreover, irregular movement of huge amounts in shape of loans and gifts from Kingdom of Saudi Arabia-based company (Hill Metals Establishment), United Kingdom based companies (Flagship Investments Limited and others) and United Arab Emirates based Company (Capital FZE) to Respondent No. 1, Respondent No. 7 and Pakistan based companies of Respondent No. 1 and family have been highlighted."

"The role of off-shore companies is critically important as several offshore companies [companies mentioned by name] have been identified to be linked with their businesses in UK while conducting this investigation. These companies were mainly used for inflow of funds into UK based companies; which not only acquired expensive properties in UK from such funds but also revolve these funds amongst their companies of UK, KSA, UAE and Pakistan."

"In addition to the companies, Respondent No. 1 and 7 have been found to be recipients of these funds movement into Pakistan as gifts/loans whose purpose/reason have not justified by them before the JIT. Needless to say, these UK companies were loss-making entities with heavily engaged in revolving of funds vis-a-vis creating a smoke screen that the expensive properties of UK were due to the business operations of these UK companies," added the closing remarks.

The investigative team refers to Section 9(a)(v) of the National Accountability Ordinance, 1999 in its report, which states - "A holder of public office, or any other person, is said to commit or to have committed the offence of corruption and corrupt practices [....] if he or any of his dependents or benamidars owns and possesses or has acquired right or title to any assets or holds irrevocable power of attorney in respect of any assets or pecuniary resources disproportionate to his known sources of income, which he cannot reasonably account for or maintains a standard of assets beyond that which is commensurate with his sources of income...."

"In any trial of an offence punishable under clause (v) of sub-section (a) of Section 9 of this Ordinance, the fact that the accused person on his behalf, is in possession for which the accused person cannot satisfactorily account, of assets and pecuniary resources disproportionate to his known sources of income, or that such person has, at or about the time of the commission of the offence with which he is charged, obtained an accretion to his pecuniary resources or property for which he cannot satisfactorily account, the Court shall presume, unless the contrary is proved, that the accused person is guilty of the offence of corruption and corrupt practices and his conviction therefore shall not be invalid by reason only that it is based solely on such presumption," states Section 14(c) of the National Accountability Ordinance, 1999, which was also brought forth by the report. 

Earlier today, the JIT submitted its final probe report to the apex court.

After the report's submission, the bench, headed by Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan and including Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed and Justice Ijazul Ahsan, ordered the registration of FIR against Security and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) Chairman Zafar Hijazi.

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had informed the court over the weekend that its inquiry had found Hijazi guilty of tampering records of SECP's probe into the Chaudhry Sugar Mills, owned by the Sharif family.

The JIT, formed on May 5 in light of the Supreme Court�s April 20 judgment, was tasked to ascertain the money trail of the Sharif family-owned properties in Park Lane, London.

The JIT included State Bank of Pakistan's Amer Aziz, Security and Exchange Commission of Pakistan's Bilal Rasool, Military Intelligence's Brig Kamran Khursheed, Inter Services Intelligence's Brig (retd) Nauman Saeed and National Accountability Bureau's Irfan Mangi.