ISLAMABAD : (Parliament Times)  The Supreme Court of Pakistan has adjourned the hearing of Panama Papers case till first week of January. A new bench will hear the case from the beginning after Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali’s retirement on December 30.
During the hearing of the case on Friday, the Chief Justice said there are two days left before his reference and then there will be winter vacations for the judges. He said, therefore, the bench will be reconstituted to hear the case.
Incoming Chief Justice Saqib Nisar will have the power to reconstitute the bench.
Currently, CJP Jamali is heading a larger five-member bench comprising Justice Asif Saeed Khan Khosa, Justice Amir Hani Muslim, Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed and Justice Ijazul Ahsan.
Earlier today, the legal team of the Sharif family supported the idea of the formation of commission on Panama Papers issue. Salman Butt and Akram Sheikh said it is up to the court to decide as to how the investigation may be carried forward.
On the other hand, PTI chief Imran Khan’s lawyer Naeem Bukhari opposed the decision to form judicial commission.
“PTI will not accept the formation of a commission and if the court constitutes it then we will boycott proceedings,†Bukhari told the five-member bench.
Earlier on Tuesday, the chief justice observed that the SC bench still open to the option to form a commission to examine relevant evidences, adding they would form the commission whenever it would be needed.
In April this year, leaked documents from the Mossack Fonseca law firm in Panama revealed that Nawaz Sharif’s sons Hassan and Hussain, and daughter Maryam, owned at least three offshore holding companies registered in the British Virgin Islands and these assets were not mentioned on his family’s wealth statement.
The companies identified so far include three British Virgin Islands-based companies Nescoll Ltd, Nielsen Enterprises Ltd and Hangon Property Holdings Ltd, incorporated in 1993, 1994 and 2007 respectively. These companies have been used to channel funds to acquire foreign assets, including some apartments along Park Lane in London’s Mayfair area.
PM Nawaz Sharif has said his children have done nothing illegal, but opponents accuse the family of using the tax haven to launder stolen money and dodge taxes.