LAHORE: A day after the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) on money laundering charges against the ruling Sharif family submitted its report to the Supreme Court, the lawyers’ associations on Tuesday once again demanded Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s resignation, reminding him of his promise to resign if found guilty.

The Pakistan Bar Council (PBC), Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) and Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) said the prime minister was left with no moral justification after the adverse report of the JIT.

PBC Vice Chairman Ahsan Bhoon said the prime minister should go home in a dignified manner by resigning immediately.

He said Mr Sharif had announced in an address to the nation that he would step down if an investigation commission or team formed by the Supreme Court declared him guilty of the charges.

At a press conference, leaders of the LHCBA vowed to launch a lawyers’ movement if the prime minister failed to resign within a week.

The association’s president Chaudhry Zulfiqar Ali also demanded that the names of the whole Sharif family be put on the Exit Control List (ECL). He said the report had proved true the view of the lawyers that the prime minster was not honest and righteous. He said the members of the JIT had done a great job by declaring the ruling family guilty of corruption.

He also hailed the Supreme Court’s decision of summoning the record of threatening speeches made by ministers and ordering the registration of a first information report (FIR) against the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan’s Chairman Zafar Hijazi.

Mr Ali advised the ministers to act like public representatives instead of a part of the Sharif family.

He said a national action committee of lawyers would meet next week to devise the strategy for a countrywide movement against the prime minister.

SCBA president Rasheed A. Razvi and secretary Aftab Ahmad Bajwa were also scheduled to join the press conference, but could not reach the venue in time.

Talking to reporters, Mr Bajwa endorsed the announcements made by the LHCBA.

He also demanded that all members of the prime minister’s family be arrested forthwith because the report of the JIT had declared them guilty of corruption.

Published in Dawn, July 12th, 2017