The Supreme Court of Pakistan, on Saturday, announced that it will hear Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) leader Hanif Abbasi’s petition to review the disqualification case verdict exonerating Prime Minister Imran Khan on October 10 (Wednesday).
In December 2017, the apex court had rendered Pakistan Tehreek e Insaaf (PTI) leader Jahangir Khan Tareen disqualified for being “dishonest” but rejected the petition seeking Imran Khan’s disqualification, and exonerated the future PM from all corruption charges. The court, in its verdict, ruled that Khan was not liable to declare his offshore company Niazi Services Ltd in his 2013 nomination papers as he was not a shareholder or director of the company.
Furthermore, the court’s detailed judgement had noted that the money trail provided by Khan sufficiently covered the Bani Gala property’s purchase price, the funds provided by Jemima Goldsmith, Khan’s ex-wife, and the proceeds from the sale of Khan’s apartment in London.
The SC had turned down Tareen’s review petition against his lifetime disqualification last week, and is now set to address Abbasi’s appeal for a review of Khan’s exoneration.
According to the notification, a three-member special bench of the SC under the Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar’s stewardship will hear the case. Notices have been issued to the parties concerned.
Published in Daily Times, September 7th 2018.
