{"id":21809,"date":"2017-07-28T16:35:01","date_gmt":"2017-07-28T16:35:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2017\/07\/28\/disqualified-by-court-pakistans-prime-minister-steps-down\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T21:59:43","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T21:59:43","slug":"disqualified-by-court-pakistans-prime-minister-steps-down","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/global\/asia-pacific\/2017\/07\/28\/disqualified-by-court-pakistans-prime-minister-steps-down\/","title":{"rendered":"Disqualified by court, Pakistan’s prime minister steps down"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

ISLAMABAD \u2014 Pakistan\u2019s prime minister stepped down on Friday, hours after the country\u2019s Supreme Court disqualified him from office in dramatic developments that have plunged the nuclear-armed nation into another major crisis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A five-judge panel of the top court disqualified the thrice-elected Nawaz Sharif following a petition filed by the opposition, which had levelled corruption allegations against the prime minister and his family members.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is not the first time the Pakistani judiciary has ordered dismissal of an elected prime minister. The court also ordered that criminal charges be filed against Sharif and his family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The court panel, in a unanimous decision, said Sharif was disqualified for not remaining \u201ctruthful and honest\u201d in the face of the evidence against him. It also ruled that Sharif could no longer serve as a member of the National Assembly, the powerful lower house of parliament.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[Pakistan Signs JF-17 Agreement With Sri Lanka<\/a>]<\/i>
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The landmark ruling threw Pakistan, which is battling a stubborn militancy, into political disarray and triggered questions over who will succeed Sharif as prime minister \u2014 and even questions on who is leading the country at the moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sharif\u2019s supporters, though dismayed by the ruling, suggested that Pakistan\u2019s powerful military \u2014 which had once before overthrown Sharif in a bloodless coup \u2014 were crowing at the court\u2019s decision because they have viewed the prime minister as an upstart who sought to challenge the Army\u2019s authority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The military, which has ruled for more than half of Pakistan\u2019s 70-year-long history, is considered the country\u2019s most powerful institution, a position it has been unwilling to see challenged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sharif\u2019s political opponents, many of whom have questionable corruption records themselves, welcomed the court decision as a vindication of their monthslong battle and proof that even the politically powerful can be held accountable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Opposition supporters danced in the streets, and opposition leader Imran Khan called on followers to head to Islamabad on Sunday for a major celebration in their legal battle against the \u201ccorrupt ruling elite.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Khan congratulated the judiciary on dismissing Sharif and described the disqualification as a \u201cgood omen\u201d for Pakistan. He told reporters at a news conference that he hopes all those who looted the nation\u2019s wealth would face a similar fate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Pakistani opposition leader Imran Khan gestures during a news conference regarding the dismissal of Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, in Islamabad, Pakistan, on July 28, 2017. Opposition lawmakers, who petitioned the court for disqualification of Sharif, welcomed the court decision, saying it was a victory for justice. (Anjum Naveed\/AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The current case against Sharif and his family dates back to 2016, when documents leaked from a Panama-based law firm indicated that Sharif\u2019s sons owned several offshore companies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sharif\u2019s son, Hussain Nawaz, at the time acknowledged owning offshore companies but insisted they used legal money to set up businesses abroad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, the court-appointed investigators in July concluded a significant disparity existed between the Sharif family\u2019s declared wealth and its known sources of income.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Supreme Court on Friday also ordered Pakistan\u2019s anti-corruption body to file corruption charges against Sharif, his two sons and daughter in the next six weeks for concealing their assets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The panel also ordered corruption charges filed against Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, a close relative of Sharif.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sharif\u2019s party expressed its disappointment over the court orders and urged their followers to remain calm and avoid confrontations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis decision is not surprising, but we are disappointed,\u201d Information Minister Maryam Aurangzeb told reporters shortly after the ruling. She said their Pakistan Muslim League ruling party will issue a detailed reaction after consulting Sharif\u2019s advisers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The court also asked Pakistan\u2019s figurehead, President Mamnoon Hussain, to \u201censure continuation of the democratic process.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hussain was expected to convene the National Assembly once Sharif\u2019s ruling party nominates his successor. That person would serve as prime minister until June 2018, when the next general elections are to be held.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the jam-packed courtroom early Friday morning, the Supreme Court announced its decision and asked the Election Commission of Pakistan to issue a notification of Sharif\u2019s removal. But Sharif quickly stepped down, saying he did it to show respect for the country\u2019s judiciary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, in a statement, Sharif\u2019s office said justice had not been served.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sharif\u2019s resignation has left constitutional experts at a loss to explain who is in charge in Pakistan until a successor is nominated. It wasn\u2019t immediately clear when that would be or who it could be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Legal experts say Sharif will now nominate a lawmaker of his choice to replace him under constitutional rules. They say Sharif\u2019s nominee will be elected by the National Assembly, where the ruling party enjoys a comfortable majority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hashmat Habib, a legal expert, said the court\u2019s order was binding and that Sharif and his family may not challenge it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not the first time that Pakistan\u2019s judiciary has ordered the dismissal of an elected prime minister. In 2012, the court convicted the then-Premier Yusuf Raza Gilani in a contempt case, forcing him to step down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Opposition lawmakers, who petitioned the court for disqualification of Sharif, welcomed the court decision, saying it was a victory for justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sirajul Haq, who heads Pakistan\u2019s Jamaat-e-Islami party, told reporters that he had been fighting a legal battle to ensure the accountability of the \u201ccorrupt ruling elite.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sharif\u2019s daughter, Maryam Nawaz, in a tweet said the prime minister was sent home, \u201cbut only to see him return with greater force.\u201d She asked her party to \u201cstay strong.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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