The cheque handed over to the Panama legal team by the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) contains the signature of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, reported Waqt News.

Sources say the prime minister paid the expenses of the Panama legal team from his personal account. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) claims the government paid Rs3.3 billion from the national exchequer to the legal team.

Opposition parties have pressed for Nawaz Sharif's resignation, saying the prime minister had lost the moral authority to stay in office while being investigated.

The Supreme Court ruled last week there was insufficient evidence to order Nawaz Sharif's removal from office but called for further investigation into corruption allegations in connection with the so-called Panama Papers leaks.

A five-member bench was split three vote to two in favor of Sharif retaining his position.

The Supreme Court, in its 549-page judgment, ordered a joint investigation team be formed to look into allegations around three of Nawaz Sharif's four children using offshore companies to buy properties in London.

The investigating team has two months to complete its inquiry, after which a special bench will decide what action to take, the court said.

The prime minister and his children deny any wrongdoing.

The joint investigation team will comprise members from six different government bodies including intelligence agencies and financial regulatory authorities.