PESHAWAR: Jamaat-i-Islami chief Sirajul Haq on Thursday said the dignified way for Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was to appear before the Supreme Court in the Panama Leaks case instead of giving statements in and outside parliament.

He said this while addressing the award distribution ceremony of the Islami Jamiat Talba here at Nishtar Hall on Thursday, said a news release. The JI chief said the prime minister’s position in the Panama Leaks case was very weak and therefore, his lawyers couldn’t win his legal battle in the Supreme Court.

“The appearance of Nawaz Sharif in the Supreme Court has become inevitable,” he said, adding that the prime minister’s statements given in the National Assembly on the Panama Leaks case were contradicted by own lawyers.

Mr. Siraj said the PM had given false statements on the floor of the house that couldn’t be ignored.

Insists Sharif’s position weak, so he can’t win battle in SC

He said many heads of the states or governments had either tendered apologies or they were held accountable by their respective parties after their names appeared in the Panama Papers.

Mr. Siraj said without the implementation of articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution, ‘neat and clean’ people couldn’t reach parliament.

He said the time had come to implement those two key articles of the Constitution.

The JI chief said the remarks of a judge in the Panama Leaks case regarding constitutional articles 62 and 63 had become a challenge for his party.

A judge had remarked during the case hearing that all current members of parliament would be disqualified except Sirajul Haq if articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution were fully implemented.

Mr. Siraj said the JI wanted to make Pakistan an Islamic welfare state and would ensure peaceful environment in educational institutions and provision of better health facilities and job opportunities to the people after coming to power.

“Pakistan was not created for plunderers and looters,” he said.

The JI chief said the corrupt elites were exploiting the people and as a result, majority of the people lived below the poverty line.

He said if voted to power, his party would introduce a uniformed education policy across the country and would end social and economic injustice.

Published in Dawn, January 13th, 2017