Panamagate: Decision to disqualify me had been taken before the judgement, Nawaz alleges

Published
29

"The decision to disqualify me had already been taken, only a justification was being sought," ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif alleged while discussing the proceedings of the Panama Papers case with television anchors on Monday.

Sharif said that his upcoming rally from Islamabad to Lahore is not "a protest" but "a journey back home". He added that he was travelling via the Grand Trunk road on Wednesday because "risks need to be taken for the country".

Sharif repeated the allegation that the members of the joint investigation team (JIT) probing Sharif family's business dealings "were chosen through WhatsApp".

"Never have officials from Military Intelligence (MI) and Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) been included in an inquiry," he said.

He also expressed his displeasure at the Supreme Court's decision to have a judge oversee the National Accountability Bureau's (NAB) proceedings against his family, saying it jeoparidises his right of appeal.

Sharif, who was disqualified for not declaring the salary accruing to him from his employment in the UAE, said that he had not been involved in any misappropriation of public funds during his tenure and lamented that he was disqualified for a minor thing when nothing was found against him in the Panama Papers case.

"The judges, in their remarks, stated that there are no allegations of corruption or misuse of authority against Nawaz Sharif," he claimed.

"Five 'noble' people throwing out someone with the mandate of millions is not appropriate," Sharif said, warning that the country cannot be run the way it is being tried to run.

Expressing sadness at the Panamagate verdict, Sharif said that he was "hurt" by the remarks of the SC judges. "One judge even said that 'prime minister should know that there is a lot of space in Adiala jail'," Sharif said, adding that it does not behoove a judge to make such remarks.

"I will not run away like Musharraf," Sharif claimed, and asked whether there were judges in the country who could hold the dictator accountable.

Opinion

Editorial

Muddled hierarchy
15 Nov, 2026

Muddled hierarchy

THE Federal Constitutional Court marked its first anniversary on Friday with a commemorative stamp. Speaking on the...
Growing crisis
15 Nov, 2026

Growing crisis

AN emergency can be judged by the speed with which it draws an effective response. The National Population Council’s...
Organised rackets
15 Nov, 2026

Organised rackets

ON the International Day against Transnational Organised Crime, observed today, Pakistan finds itself in a tight...
Referendum talk
Updated 14 Nov, 2026

Referendum talk

Unless the PPP is deliberately using Sindh as a bargaining chip, it should issue a clarification with a clear, consistent position on new administrative units, not one tailored to protect its home turf.
Mineral wealth
Updated 14 Nov, 2026

Mineral wealth

Minerals should not be presented as a solution to Pakistan’s long-term economic difficulties. The aim should be to build an industrial base rather than export raw materials.
Late diagnosis
14 Nov, 2026

Late diagnosis

AS we mark World Diabetes Day today, Pakistan faces a troubling question: how many people are living with diabetes...