The PML-N on Wednesday "rejected" what it termed "inappropriate remarks" made by five justices of the Supreme Court in their detailed judgement on multiple review petitions filed against the July 28 verdict in the Panama Papers case.

The statement, released by the party after a meeting at Punjab House in Islamabad, said that whatever was said about the three-time prime minister "falls short of the court's standards."

In the statement, the party accused Supreme Court judges not only of trying to influence the lower courts — saying that this was the opinion of several unnamed "legal experts" — but also of giving a judgement on the ongoing corruption references against the Sharif family before they have been completed.

"The detailed judgement is a very unfortunate example of malice, hostility, anger and provocation from beginning to the end," the party said.

Putting to rest any speculation that Nawaz Sharif and family had been convinced to desist from attacking state institutions, the statement used unusually harsh language to criticise the Supreme Court on being unable to deliver justice.

"The caravans were looted because oaths were taken over the bandits' hands," the statement alleged, invoking the Provisional Constitution Order imposed during dictator Pervaiz Musharraf's regime.

The "caravans looted by bandits" reference was a response to a verse quoted in the Supreme Court's judgement the day earlier, which the PML-N seems to have taken particular offense at.

"The doctrine of necessity was invoked to provide justifications, and orders that allowed the bandits to play with the Constitution were given [by the courts]," the PML-N alleged.

"The leaders are facing the courts even today; we would like to know where the bandits are," it added, in a veiled reference to accusations that the justice system has proven ineffective against former dictators.

The statement further accused the Supreme Court of speaking the language of its political opponents, which "is more appropriate for jalsas". This cannot be tolerated, it said.

It ended with the same verse quoted in the Supreme Court's judgement, but with one word switched out to imply that Pakistan's current socio-political turmoil was a result of the apex court's inability to provide justice.

تو ادھر ادھر کی نہ بات کر یہ بتا کہ قافلہ کیوں لٹا

مجھے راہزنوں سےگلہ نہیں تیری منصفی کا سوال ہے

(Do not beat about the bush, tell me why the caravan was robbed/

I bear no grudge for the bandit, but your capacity to provide justice I doubt)