Nawaz Sharif Family Files Review Petition Against SC Panamagate Verdict:- A review petition has been filed by the family of former Pak PM Nawaz Sharif, against the July 28 verdict of the Supreme Court. The court disqualified Sharif from holding any position in the office.

The review petition was filed by lawyer Salman Akram Raja, on behalf of Sharif's daughter Maryam Nawaz, sons Hussain Nawaz and Hassan Nawaz and son-in-law Captain Safdar. Sharif was disqualified by a five-member bench of the top court from holding any public office. Sharif when filing his nomination papers in 2013, failed to verify a salary which he had not withdrawn as an executive director of a Dubai-based company, as an asset.

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) was directed by the court to file references in an accountability court against the former PM and his children. One of the members of the bench was also ordered by the court that the bench would oversee the proceedings of the court.

As the five-member bench did not have jurisdiction in the matter, the final order of the court is ‘coram non judice’ said the petitioners. Moreover, they claimed that the directions of the court to NAB are violative of the principle of trichotomy of powers.

The Saudi Arabian government has also expressed its willingness to share information requested by the Joint Investigations Team (JIT) regarding Sharif family’s offshore assets. An official of the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Interior told “a JIT member about his government’s willingness to share the requested information”, said a leading news channel.

The Saudi government is likely to respond to a mutual legal assistance (MLA) request by JIT, which had contacted six countries for mutual legal assistance during its 60-day investigation into the financial affairs of the Sharif family.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif stepped down from his post after the country’s Supreme Court disqualified him under Article 62(1)(f) of the Constitution on July 28.

SUPRAJA