69
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday expressed satisfaction over the Supreme Court's order on the Panamagate probe a day earlier, and said those who pointed fingers at him would soon be embarrassed.
The apex court on Tuesday during a hearing of petitions moved by the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), Jamaat-i-Islami, Awami Muslim League, and others, ordered the PML-N and PTI to submit Terms of Reference (ToRs) on the formation of a commission to probe revelations made in the Panama Papers.
The court's order came just a day before the PTI's planned Nov 2 'lockdown' of Islamabad, and was followed by PTI Chairman Imran Khan announcing that the party's siege of the capital would be replaced instead by a 'thanksgiving' rally at Islamabad's parade ground.
Read more: U-turn or victory? Politicians weigh in on PTI's dharna turnaround
The PM slammed the PTI saying that the "agitators were only willing to resolve the matter through street protests," Nawaz said.
"Those who are giving thanks today should have given thanks a very long time ago," he said in a veiled reference to Imran Khan. They wasted 126 days [during the 2014 dharna] too, he said.
The premier said he had earlier asked the court to form a commission to investigate the Panama leaks. A law had been drafted and a parliamentary committee on the Terms of Reference for the commission had also been constituted for this reason but these efforts could not bear fruit due to non-cooperation by the opposition, he claimed.
The matter will now be resolved according to the law, he said, adding that he was hopeful the apex court's decision would be made on the basis of merit.
"I even asked my lawyers not to challenge maintainability of the Panamagate petition," the PM said, adding, "Those who pointed fingers will be embarrassed."
The PM advised his cabinet to exercise caution with rhetoric on legal matters pending before the court.
A relief package for those who suffered losses to life or property during intermittent cross-border firing was announced in the cabinet meeting.
A three-member committee headed by the federal minister of defence production was also set up to probe the causes behind the Gadani oil-tanker blasts.
