LHC allows to submit evidence about PM owning 2 offshore firms

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court has allowed petitioner to annex more documents with his main petition seeking disqualification of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and other politicians allegedly involved in establishing offshore companies and concealing their assets from the public.

Justice Shahid Waheed of the LHC has passed the order. As hearing commenced today, Advocate Gohar Nawaz Sindhu of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf (PTI) told the judge that PM Nawaz Sharif has established two companies abroad. He stated that some credible sources informed him that PM Nawaz Sharif is owner of two companies.  The petitioner pleaded the court to give him time to submit documentary evidence on the next hearing. The judge accepted his plea and adjourned further hearing until April 14.

Previously, the judge asked the registrar’s office to consolidate all the petitions for hearing.

In his petition, Sindhu has made PM Nawaz Sharif, his two sons Hussain Nawaz and Hassan Nawaz, daughter Maryam Nawaz, former interior minister Rehman Malik, the Election Commission of Pakistan, NAB, FIA as respondents in his petition.

He has alleged that the top politicians including the PM were involved in transferring public money out of Pakistan and establishing offshore companies. He stated that public money was invested in offshore companies and it was also not shifted abroad through any legal means.

He asserted that these politicians concealed facts from the public and also did not disclose them while filing their nomination papers for parliament. He said after Hussain Nawaz’s acceptance about owning companies outside Pakistan, PM should be declared as disqualified from holding his office.

He submitted that Hussain Nawaz was not an adult when offshore company was purchased outside Pakistan in 1993 and 1994 but the PM did not declare it in his assets before the Election Commission of Pakistan.

He stated the PM concealed facts from the public and thus, he could not be elected as member of national assembly. He prayed to order to the NAB to hold inquiry of the Panama matter and fix responsibility.

He prayed to the court to declare Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and other politicians as disqualified. He requested that Election Commission of Pakistan be directed to start inquiry against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for concealing facts from the public while submitting nomination papers. He prayed that sons and daughter of PM should also be barred from contesting elections in future.

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