LAHORE - The Lahore High Court Bar Association Wednesday demanded Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif should step down before appearing before the Joint Investigation Agency probing him and his family members for money trail in Panama case.
Nawaz Sharif is to become the first sitting prime minister to appear before any investigating agency, when he appears before the joint investigation team (JIT) today.
The lawyers said they would hold protest on Thursday to denounce the appearance of Mian Nawaz Sharif before the JIT as prime minister of Pakistan. The office bearers of the LHCBA said that there would be question mark on JIT postion if Nawaz Sharif appeared before it as PM.
Addressing a press conference, the LHCBA office bearers said that the PM should resign first and then should appear before the JIT. They said now the JIT was saying that the record was being changed. “The lawyers will stand with the judiciary if government takes any action against the top court or JIT,” they added.
LHCBA vice-president Rashid Lodhi said that the PML-N lawmakers were trying to influence the JIT and the SC judges which is really awful. He said a cell was established by the government which was targetting the JIT members.
“The lawyers would stand united if the PML-N workers try to disturb the atmosphere during the appearance of Nawaz Sharif before JIT,” Lodhi added.
LHCBA Secretary Amir Saeed Rawn said that they would hoist flags on the bars and hold protest throughout the country if the PM appeared before the JIT without tendering resignation. He said they would also hold marches and would call meetings of the lawyers to condemn it.