SC to announce Panamagate verdict on April 20

The verdict on the much awaited Panamagate case will be given on April 20, confirmed the supplementary cause list released by the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

The verdict is scheduled to be issued at 2pm on April 20, which was also confirmed in a message by the public relations officer of the apex court.

Senior PTI leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi termed it an important decision in the country’s history.

“After waiting 57 days, the decision has come. We hope the decision benefits the country,” said Qureshi.

Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, one of the petitioners in the case, referred to the announcement as a “historical verdict for the sub-continent”.

“We will accept whatever verdict the great judges put forth,” said Rashid, and added that further course of action will be discussed with the PTI chief on Wednesday.

“Justice will win and corruption will lose,” said the AML chief.

The Supreme Court of Pakistan said on February 23, after both the defence and prosecution completed their arguments, that it would reserve its verdict on the Panamagate case and issue a detailed judgement.

Judgement in the case has not yet been given by the apex court.

The case pertains to investments allegedly made by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and members of his family in Mossack Fonseca, an offshore investment company.The case filed by various petitioners — Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chief Imran Khan, Jamaat-i-Islami emir Sirajul Haq and Sheikh Rashid Ahmed — essentially seeks disqualification of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif over his alleged misstatement in his address to the nation on April 5 and his speech before the National Assembly on May 16, 2016.

The case filed by various petitioners — Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chief Imran Khan, Jamaat-i-Islami emir Sirajul Haq and Sheikh Rashid Ahmed — essentially seeks disqualification of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif over his alleged misstatement in his address to the nation on April 5 and his speech before the National Assembly on May 16, 2016.

The petitioners claim that the prime minister lied about the investments made by his children in offshore companies, which led to the acquisition of four apartments in London’s upscale Park Lane neighbourhood.

The investment came to light as part of a massive leak of secret files from a Panamanian law firm that is a specialised consultant dealing in the setting up of offshore companies in tax havens.

According to documents available on the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) website, the PM’s children — Mariam, Hasan and Hussain — “were owners or had the right to authorise transactions for several companies”.