ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan will hold a preliminary hearing of petitions seeking the disqualification of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and four of his relatives on August 3.

Four disqualification petitions against the prime minister -filed by PTI, PPP, Pakistan Awami Tehreek and Awami Muslim League - have been pending with the ECP and were submitted after the Panama Papers’ leaks about Pakistani politicians running off shore companies. They were filed when the ECP was dysfunctional following the retirement of four of its members.

While the rest of the parties only petitioned against the prime minister, the PPP also sought the disqualification of four of his relatives including Mr Sharif’s son-in-law (retired) Captain Mohammad Safdar, the prime minister’s daughter’s father-in-law and finance minister Ishaq Dar, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and his son Hamza Shahbaz.

Nawaz Sharif, Shahbaz Sharif and Ishaq Dar were accused of concealing the family’s assets in their statements submitted with the ECP.


The petitions filed by various political parties accuse PM of tax evasion, sending money via illegal means and concealing assets


The petition alleged that the prime minister and members of his family sent money out of Pakistan via illegal means and that Mr Sharif does not meet the qualification criteria for holding a public office under articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution.

It also accuses him and his four relatives of tax evasion.

Almost all the petitions accuse Nawaz Sharif of concealing the assets and liabilities of his daughter Maryam Nawaz and sons Hassan Nawaz and Hussein Nawaz and of using off-shore companies for evading taxes.

One of the petitions said that according to the Panama Papers, Maryam Nawaz became the sole owner of Nescoll in 2006. She was also the co-owner of another British Virgin Island (BVI) company, Coomber Group through which a loan of £Rs3.5 million was secured from the Deutche Bank in June 2007.

Mr Sharif had declared Maryam as his dependant and had gotten her a national tax number on October 12, 2001 though Chaudhry Sugar Mills.

Hussein Nawaz admitted in a TV interview that Maryam was the sole owner of two BVI companies. The prime minister’s late father, Mohammad Sharif, was the owner of Mayfair apartments in London and Hudaibia Paper Mills. After Mohammad Sharif’s death, his property was inherited by Nawaz Sharif and other heirs.

However, the prime minister did not mention his shares in the Mayfair apartments in his assets declaration. He had shown a liability of Rs110 million in regards to Ramzan Sugar Mills as of June 30, 2011 while his net wealth was declared at Rs149 million.

The declaration did not explain who bore the expenses of Raiwind Palace, which is shown to be in the name of Mr Sharif’s mother.

The petition adds that the concealment of assets comes under corrupt practices and according to section 100 of the Representation of People’s Act, a person found guilty of corrupt or illegal practices can be disqualified as a member of the National Assembly.

“The respondent is not sagacious, righteous, non-profligate, honest and ameen within the meaning of Article 62-1 of the Constitution and thus is not qualified to be elected or chosen as member of the parliament,” the petition reads.

Published in Dawn, July 30th, 2016

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