Islamabad: Are Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s days in office numbered? A day after the Supreme Court finished hearing arguments in the Panama Papers leak case Mr Sharif today cleared the air and said he would not resign from the post as he was elected by the people. However, Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Khursheed Shah said Mr Sharif needed to decide by tonight to step down from his post.
The Prime Minister reaffirmed his stance while presiding over a meeting of the PML-N. During the meeting, the PML-N also decided to file a civil miscellaneous application before the Supreme Court to challenge Volume-10 of the report of the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) about mutual legal assistance sought from different countries. Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan from the PML-N once again skipped the meeting. Media reports said as he was busy with some work in Punjab House, he was not able to attend the meeting. Prime Minister’s Adviser Barrister Zafarullah told ‘The Dawn’ that it was only a routine meeting in which they discussed the Panama Papers case.
He also said the meeting did not consider the option of a new Prime Minister. He said Mr Sharif and the PML-N’s legal team were satisfied that the Prime Minister would not be affected by the Supreme Court’s verdict as the investigation team could not establish his direct links with offshore properties of the Sharif family. On the other hand, Mr Shah told the Geo TV that the hunt for a new prime minister should be started. “He needs to decide by tonight to resign so he can maintain dignity. If he wants to convey his innocence he should. We do not want to get into that debate. But the decision needs to be made tonight before the Supreme Court verdict.”
Mr Shah emphasised that the PPP wanted Parliament to complete its tenure and for a new prime minister to come. “We have never demanded that the government or assembly be dissolved.” On Mr Nisar’s issue, Mr Shah said he agreed with the Interior Minister’s objections. “[My] differences with Nisar aside, his objections are correct that Nawaz Sharif consulted with junior members of his party and ignored the senior leadership.”
