Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar, while addressing a press conference in Islamabad on Friday, rejected the notion that the Panama case verdict was a "split decision", adding that although the judges' opinions "may be different, all five judges signed off on formation of a Joint Investigation team (JIT)."
Speaking to journalists, Nisar mentioned how the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leadership had initially demanded that a JIT, including members from ISI and MI, be formed to investigate allegations of corruption.
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Now that the Supreme Court verdict reflected that proposition, Nisar expressed it was important to for all parties to respect the decision.
“It is a sign of the end of times, to have Asif Ali Zardari lecture us on Article 62, 63,” he remarked while criticising the opposition's hardening stance on the prime minister's resignation following the verdict, inviting a faint laughter from journalists present at the conference.
Article 62 and 63 of the constitution make it a requirement for the country's chief executive to be 'truthful' and 'honest'.
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Nisar expressed his discomfort with political parties announcing protests, terming it as detrimental to the integrity of the SC’s verdict.
He went on to talk about the nature of the allegations against the PM.
“The onus of proving a case lies with the prosecution all over the world,” said Nisar, “but in this case, we have faced the opposite.”
“This is not a corruption case,” he said, referring to the Panama Papers scandal against the PM and his family.
“Lots of people have houses abroad,” he said, adding that: “since day one, the PM has not hidden his assets.”
Nisar added that the court’s decision to further investigate allegations of corruption against the prime minister should be accepted in all its merit.
“Since the matter is sub-judice, I will not comment on it any further,” he resolved.
