ISLAMABAD: Members of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf continued to trade barbs over the Panamagate case following Wednesday’s hearing at the Supreme Court.

Minister of State for Information Marriyum Aurangzeb mocked at Naeem Bokhari, chief of the PTI’s legal team, calling him a “defeated” lawyer. On the other hand, PTI spokesperson Naeemul Haq reiterated an earlier stance that the PML-N’s lawyers had, like always, tried to reject the basic legal aspects of the Panamagate case.

“Naeem Bokhari should take his fee in advance from his defeated client,” Ms Aurangzeb quipped while talking to reporters in front of the Supreme Court. Referring to various development projects the prime minister had inaugurated recently, the information minister said the premier would continue to launch such projects for the rest of his party’s remaining time in government.

“What will Imran Khan do after the Panama leaks case?” she asked, alluding to the ruling party’s stance that they have the case in the bag.

PTI spokesperson says the ruling party always glossed over legal aspects of the case

Anusha Rehman, Minister for Information Technology, said that the PTI had failed to present documents to support their allegations against the prime minister and his family. PML-N leader Daniyal Aziz insisted that Naeem Bokhari “has almost lost the case”.

He said the court had snubbed Awami Muslim League (AML) president Sheikh Rashid Ahmed for trivialising important aspects of the case. He said the court had asked him to speak on legal issues of the case rather than its non-serious aspects. As the case had progressed, the PTI was trying to twist its stance, Mr Daniyal claimed, instead of providing evidence against the prime minister and its counsel had tried to place the burden of proof on the PML-N.

PTI’s Naeemul Haq, however, insisted that the burden of proof was on the premier who would have to explain from where he had gotten the money to purchase apartments in London. “Where are their receipts?”

He said the nation was watching the Panamagate case unfold and wanted to know the truth. “They cannot show any more patience,” he said, adding that the prime minister would have saved this ordeal had he answered the four questions put forward by the opposition parties.

The PTI spokesperson lashed out at the PML-N’s legal team and said the ruling party’s lawyers had always tried to hush up legal aspects of the case.

He accused the prime minister and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif of lavishing all of the government’s resources on Lahore while neglecting other parts of the country and Punjab. “Nawaz Sharif has become the prime minister of Lahore and Shahbaz Sharif his chief minister,” Mr Haq said.

The PTI spokesperson alleged that the government’s ministers were using state resources to protect the personal interests of PM Sharif and his family.

Published in Dawn, January 12th, 2017