Karachi -  Sindh Assembly on Tuesday unanimously passed a private member resolution, demanding Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to resign from his post for losing moral authority to rule after the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) submitted its report to the Supreme Court on Panama leaks case.

Members of Pakistan Muslim League- Functional (PML-F) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) walked out of the House before the passage of the resolution.

Although it was a PTI lawmaker, Khuram Sher Zaman, who had initially tabled the resolution, the House adopted the resolution introduced by Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) lawmaker Khairun Nisa Mughal as Minister for Parliamentary Affairs insisted on its passage arguing its language was more appropriate.

The resolution tabled by Khuram Sher Zaman had stated that Nawaz Sharif had lost the moral authority and the integrity to continue as Prime Minister of Pakistan and he should resign immediately in the greater interest of Pakistan and democracy.

PPP’s resolution had stated that the House demanded Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif step down immediately as he had lost moral credibility to hold the all-important post of premiership. “His acts of concealing the facts while declaring assets, producing fake documents before the Supreme Court and JIT and evading taxes had shattered the confidence of people of Pakistan,” it read.

“It is therefore the considered opinion of the August House that Nawaz Sharif should resign forthwith,” it added.

Speaking on the resolution, PTI member Khurram Sher Zaman said that two judges of the apex court bench had declared Nawaz as not pious and the JIT formed on other judges’ orders had also produced proofs against him.

“Now the prime minister has lost the moral authority to hold premiership and, therefore, should immediately resign from his post,” he said, adding that the tirade against JIT members from PML-N was condemnable.

He further said that now Nawaz would not be able to go to Saudia Arabia or Qatar. “Instead he would be sent to jail for his corruption,” he commented.

He further demanded the provincial government include a topic in the curriculum on the corrupt practices of Nawaz and Panama leaks issue so that the next generations could know about their corrupt practices.

Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Nisar Ahmed Khuhro said that Nawaz had lied to the nation, and they (PPP) would not allow PML-N to seek political martyrdom.

“Heavens won’t fall if a prime minister is replaced with another,” he said, adding that PPP wanted the democracy to go on smoothly in the country and the government to complete its tenure.

He said that since the prime minister had lost moral authority to hold the premier’s office he should resign immediately.

The minister said that the apex court had provided safeguards for the martial law four times in the past and had only apologised for its mistakes only once, which was not enough.

“The decision on Panama leaks case should not be a win-win situation for everybody,” he demanded.

Khuhro said that PPP opposed Imran Khan’s demand for the referee to raise his finger as his referee had not come to his rescue even when he left the container. “His behaviour had created several suspicions about him,” he said.

The mover of the resolution, Khairun Nisa Mughal, said that leaders of several countries had resigned from their posts after the Panama scandal and Nawaz should follow in their footsteps.

She congratulated the JIT members on probing the Panama leaks issue with courage, and said that accountability should be held without any discrimination. “But this should begin from the prime minister,” she emphasised.

PPP lawmaker Saeed Ghani said that the PPP members were implicated in fake cases and were put behind bars. “Fake cases were registered against Benazir Bhutto and Asif Ali Zardari, but they faced these in the courts,” he said, and added, “It is Allah’s retribution what Sharifs are witnessing these days.”

“Cases against Nawaz are bringing a bad name to the country, and therefore he is not competent to hold the office of prime minister anymore,” he observed.

MQM member Faisal Subzwari said that politics on the basis of money should be eliminated from the country and all those involved in money laundering and offshore accounts be held accountable.

“MQM had demanded the prime minister elect someone else as premier from his party unless the ongoing case reached its conclusion,” he said, adding concealing wealth from the leadership was a crime in any nation and instead of selective action, indiscriminate action be taken at all levels against this heinous crime.

He further said that NAB also had 179 mega corruption cases and these should also be brought for probe through JIT.

The House on Tuesday also passed a private member resolution put forward by PPP MPA Ghazala Siyal regarding computerization of police record and introduction of E-Complaint system in the province.

The House sent a privilege motion from PPP lawmaker Ghulam Qadir Chandio against NAB official Altaf Bhuwani for stating that provincial assembly was doing legislation over the NAB ordinance with a bad intention. “How come a government employee speaks on the intention of members of this august House,” he said, and demanded stern action against him.

The House was later adjourned till Wednesday morning.