Prime Minister of Pakistan third term in power ended unceremoniously Friday (July 28) after the Supreme Court disqualified him from holding public office in a landmark unanimous decision on the so-called Panama Papers case.

"The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) shall issue a notification disqualifying Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif from being a member of the Parliament with immediate effect, after which he shall cease to be the Prime Minister of Pakistan," Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan told the packed courtroom Friday afternoon.

The prime minister was disqualified from holding his office as the judges ruled that he had been dishonest to parliament and the courts and could not be deemed fit for his office.

Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and son-in-law of Nawaz Sharif, Captain Safdar, who is a member of parliament, were also declared unfit for office. Dar was disqualified for being unable to explain his ownership of assets beyond his means.

The judges ruled that Nawaz had been dishonest to the parliament and the courts in not disclosing his employment in the Dubai-based Capital FZE company in his 2013 nomination papers, and, thus, could not be deemed fit for his office.

"It is hereby declared that having failed to disclose his un-withdrawn receivables constituting assets from Capital FZE Jebel Ali, UAE in his nomination papers filed for the General Elections held in 2013 in terms of Section 12(2)(f) of the Representation of the People Act, 1976 (ROPA), and having furnished a false declaration under solemn affirmation respondent No. 1 Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif is not honest in terms of Section 99(f) of ROPA and Article 62(1)(f) of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973, and therefore he is disqualified to be a Member of the Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament)."

Tellingly, Nawaz Sharif has been ousted on graft charges once before, sacked by the country's then-president during the first of his three terms as prime minister in 1993.

Shortly after the Supreme Court Order, the PM House issued a notification saying that Nawaz Sharif, despite having "strong reservations" on the SC's verdict, has stepped down from his post as the premier.

Reacting to the court's order, a Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz spokesperson said that the party will utilize all legal and constitutional means to contest the verdict.

The federal cabinet was dissolved after Nawaz Sharif relinquished his responsibilities as the prime minister of Pakistan.

As the head of the ruling PML-N, he will still be able to nominate his successor. Sharif's chosen candidate will be put to a vote in the National Assembly -- a rubber-stamp affair as the PML-N holds a strong majority in the house.

On April 20 the Supreme Court appointed a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to probe the case and collect evidence, if any, showing that Nawaz Sharif or any of his dependents or benamidar owns, possesses or acquired assets or any interest therein disproportionate to their known means of income.

The six-member JIT's damning report, submitted after a 60-day investigation that sought answers to 13 questions raised by the Supreme Court's larger bench, had maintained that Prime Minister's family owned assets beyond its known sources of income. It declared that his sons, Hussain and Hassan Nawaz, were used as proxies to build family assets.

Consequently, the six-man JIT concluded that it was compelled to refer to sections 9(a)(v) and 14(c) of the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO) 1999, which deal with corruption and corrupt practices, though such charges are yet to be proven in an accountability court. </s> The Supreme Court on Friday disqualified Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif from holding public office in a landmark decision on the Panama Papers case.

Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan, who had headed the apex court's implementation bench following its April 20 order on the Panama Papers case, announced that the larger bench had unanimously deemed PM Sharif unfit for holding office and would also order an accountability court to open references against him and his family, and other respondents.

Shortly after the order, the PM House issued a notification saying that Nawaz Sharif, despite having "strong reservations" on the SC’s verdict, has stepped down from his post as the premier.

Reacting to the court's order, a PML-N spokesperson said that the party will utilise all legal and constitutional means to contest the verdict.

The judgement, announced shortly after 12pm, brings Sharif's third term in power to an unceremonious end, roughly one year before the scheduled general elections which would have seen him become the first Pakistani prime minister to complete a full five-year term. It is unclear at the moment who will be appointed to take over the post till the next general elections, which are scheduled for 2018.

Govt in limbo

The federal cabinet was dissolved after Nawaz Sharif relinquished his responsibilities as the prime minister of Pakistan.

As the head of the ruling PML-N, he will still be able to nominate his successor.

Sharif's chosen candidate will be put to a vote in the National Assembly — a rubber stamp affair as the PML-N holds a strong majority in the house.

His daughter, Maryam Nawaz, has frequently been touted as his political heir, but she does not currently hold elected office so cannot be a candidate this time around.

'Disqualified for being dishonest'

"The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) shall issue a notification disqualifying Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif from being a member of the Parliament with immediate effect, after which he shall cease to be the Prime Minister of Pakistan,” Justice Khan told the packed courtroom Friday afternoon.

The judges ruled that Nawaz had been dishonest to the parliament and the courts in not disclosing his employment in the Dubai-based Capital FZE company in his 2013 nomination papers, and thus, could not be deemed fit for his office.

"It is hereby declared that having failed to disclose his un-withdrawn receivables constituting assets from Capital FZE Jebel Ali, UAE in his nomination papers filed for the General Elections held in 2013 in terms of Section 12(2)(f) of the Representation of the People Act, 1976 (ROPA), and having furnished a false declaration under solemn affirmation respondent No. 1 Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif is not honest in terms of Section 99(f) of ROPA and Article 62(1)(f) of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973 and therefore he is disqualified to be a Member of the Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament)."

Read the Supreme Court's complete order in Panama Papers case

References in accountability courts

Justice Khan said that the bench had recommended that all material collected by the joint investigation team (JIT) tasked with probing the Sharif family's financial dealings be sent to an accountability court within six weeks.

The bench said that on the basis of this information, cases would be opened against Finance Minister Ishaq Dar; MNA Captain Muhammad Safdar; Maryam, Hassan and Hussain Nawaz; as well as the premier.

A judgement on these references should be announced within six months, he said. One judge will oversee the implementation of this order.

The references to be filed by NAB before the accountability court include:

References against Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz Sharif, Hussain Nawaz Sharif, Hassan Nawaz Sharif, and Capt Muhammad Safdar relating to the Avenfield properties in London, United Kingdom.

Reference against Nawaz Sharif, and Hussain and Hassan Nawaz regarding Azizia Steel Company and Hill Metal Establishment, along with other companies mentioned in paragraph 9 of the detailed judgement.

Reference against Ishaq Dar for possessing assets and funds beyond his known means of income.

Supplementary reference(s) if and when any other asset, which is not prima facie reasonably accounted for, is discovered.

A reference against him will also be opened for possessing assets and funds beyond his known sources of income.

Court appreciates JIT's efforts

The judges "commended and appreciated" the hard work and efforts made by members of the JIT in preparing and filing a comprehensive and detailed report.

"Their tenure of service shall be safeguarded and protected and no adverse action of any nature including transfer and posting shall be taken against them without informing the monitoring Judge of this Court nominated by the Honourable Chief Justice of Pakistan," reads the court order.

The lead up

The original five-member bench of the Supreme Court which heard the Panama Papers case — comprising Justices Asif Saeed Khosa, Ejaz Afzal Khan, Gulzar Ahmed, Sheikh Azmat Saeed, Ijazul Ahsan — announced the much-awaited verdict in Courtroom No. 1 shortly after 12pm.

According to media reports, the courtroom was filled to capacity as prominent politicians, lawyers and journalists crowded the room to hear the judges decide Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's fate.

The twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi were on high alert in anticipation of the SC verdict while the Red Zone was partially sealed.

Paramilitary soldiers and policemen cordon off the main entrance of the Supreme Court building.— AFP

Rangers and Frontier Constabulary personnel were deployed at the Supreme Court and the Red Zone to assist the police.

April 20 order and JIT investigation

The April 20 judgement issued by the larger bench in the Panama Papers case had been split 3-2 among the five judges, with two dissenting notes from Justice Asif Saeed Khosa and Justice Gulzar Ahmed. Justice Ejaz Afzal authored the majority opinion in the 540-page judgement.

The two judges who ruled against PM Nawaz Sharif had said he should be disqualified as he could not be considered 'honest' and 'truthful' (ameen and sadiq), whereas the other three were in favour of forming a joint investigation team (JIT) to definitively answer the question of whether the allegations against the prime minister were true or not.

The court had further said that: "upon receipt of the reports, periodic or final of the JIT, as the case may be, the matter of disqualification of respondent No. 1 [Nawaz Sharif] shall be considered. If found necessary for passing an appropriate order in this behalf, [Nawaz Sharif or any other person may be summoned and examined."

A special bench of the Supreme Court was subsequently constituted to examine the case under Section 184/3 of the Constitution. The bench comprised the three judges who had prevailed.

The Supreme Court had on May 6 formed the JIT, putting a senior officer of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in charge.

After considering the background and antecedents of the officer, FIA’s Additional Director General Wajid Zia, a grade 21 officer, was appointed head of the probe team.

Amer Aziz of the State Bank of Pakistan, Executive Director of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan Bilal Rasool, National Accountability Bureau Director Irfan Naeem Mangi, Brig Muha­mmad Nauman Saeed of Inter-Services Intelligence and Brig Kamran Khurshid of the Military Intelligence were appointed as the remaining members of the team.

The six-member JIT's damning report, submitted after a 60-day investigation that sought answers to 13 questions raised by the Supreme Court's larger bench, had maintained that Prime Minister’s family owned assets beyond its known sources of income. It declared that both Hussain and Hassan Nawaz were used as proxies to build family assets.

Consequently, the six-man JIT concluded that it was compelled to refer to sections 9(a)(v) and 14(c) of the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO) 1999, which deal with corruption and corrupt practices, though such charges are yet to be proven in an accountability court.

The JIT report also highlighted Articles 122, 117, 129 and other sections of the Qanoon-i-Shahadat Order 1984 (Law of Evidence), which places the burden of disproving the allegations on the person facing accusations.

The JIT pointed out failure on the part of the Sharifs to produce the required information that would confirm their “known sources of income”, saying that prima facie, it amounted to saying that they were not able to reconcile their assets with their means of income.

The prime minister's daughter, Maryam Nawaz, had on the same evening issued a strongly-worded statement on behalf of the PML-N, saying:

"JIT report REJECTED. Every contradiction will not only be contested but decimated in SC. NOT a penny of public exchequer involved: PMLN."

Her tweet followed a press conference conducted by four senior PML-N leaders, who had taken turns to criticise the JIT report as 'serving Imran Khan's agenda'.

The Sharif family's legal team's strategy in subsequent hearings had focused on discrediting the report, the evidence collected and the means used to do so, and raising questions about the impartiality and capability of the six men who had comprised the JIT.

— Additional reporting by Naveed Siddiqui and Javed Hussain

Correction: This story has been amended to reflect that Ishaq Dar and Capt Muhammad Safdar have not been disqualified from their membership of the National Assembly; rather the Supreme Court has only ordered separate references to be opened against both. The error is regretted. </s> Pakistan’s top court disqualified the country’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif from office on Friday, with a bench of five judges unanimously ruling against him in a corruption case that has divided the South Asian nation.

The Supreme Court in Islamabad disqualified Sharif in a case connected to allegations stemming from the so-called Panama Papers — secret documents leaked from the Panama-based law firm Mossack Fonseca in 2016 that detailed the offshore financial dealings of public figures from around the world.

“He is no more eligible to be an honest member of the parliament, and he ceases to be holding the office of prime minister,” Supreme Court Judge Ejaz Afzal said in court, according to the Reuters news agency.

Sharif — who, if he had remained in office until next year’s general elections, would have been the first prime minister in Pakistan’s history to complete a full term — found himself at the center of national controversy after the Panama Papers appeared to link his children to offshore companies used to purchase flats in an upmarket London neighborhood.

The allegations ended up in court following threats of street protests by Imran Khan , the former Pakistani cricketer turned opposition politician.

Sharif and his family deny any wrongdoing.

This was Sharif’s third stint as prime minister. The country’s top court previously stepped in to dismiss former leader Yusuf Raza Gilani in 2012, following a contempt of court case.

With the ruling, Sharif’s governing Pakistan Muslim League will be forced to choose an interim prime minister, as the nation prepares for next year’s national polls. </s> Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Pakistan's Supreme Court recommended an anti-corruption case against Mr Sharif

Nawaz Sharif has resigned as prime minister of Pakistan following a decision by the country's Supreme Court to disqualify him from office.

The ruling came after a probe into his family's wealth following the 2016 Panama Papers dump linking Mr Sharif's children to offshore companies.

Mr Sharif has consistently denied any wrongdoing in the case.

The five judges reached a unanimous verdict in the Islamabad court, which was filled to capacity.

"Following the verdict, Nawaz Sharif has divested himself of his responsibility as prime minister," a spokesman for Mr Sharif's office said in a statement. However, it said he had "serious reservations" about the judicial process.

There was heightened security in the capital, with tens of thousands of troops and police deployed.

The court's ruling stated that Mr Sharif had been dishonest in not disclosing his earnings from a Dubai-based company in his nomination papers during the 2013 general election.

One of the judges, Ejaz Afzal Khan, said that Mr Sharif was no longer "eligible to be an honest member of the parliament".

Pakistan's Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan earlier advised Mr Sharif to accept Friday's verdict.

The court has recommended anti-corruption cases against several individuals, including Mr Sharif, his daughter Maryam and her husband Safdar, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and others.

Opening the gates of power?

By M Ilyas Khan, BBC News, Islamabad

Pakistan has repeated history. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is resigning. He was the 18th prime minister of Pakistan. Not a single one of the 17 prime ministers that preceded him have completed their full term in office.

Many believe that the Supreme Court has started a process of cracking down on corruption, which augurs well for democracy. Others see this as part of a long history of political manipulation through which the country's powerful military establishment has sought to control civilian decision-making.

The case hearings - spread over nearly 15 months - have been marred by controversy. The case belongs in a criminal court. The Supreme Court, which is an appellate body, initially refused to hear it. But then it not only admitted the petition for hearing, it also took the unusual step of instituting its own investigation into the case, with a dominant role for military intelligence services.

Many believe that while across-the-board action against corruption may remain a pipe dream, this verdict will open the gates of power for a new set of politicians - as has often happened in the past.

Mr Sharif, who was serving as prime minister for a record third time, was less than a year away from becoming the first in Pakistani history to complete a full term in office.

He served as prime minister from November 1990 to July 1993 and from February 1997 until he was toppled in a bloodless coup in October 1999.

Image copyright Reuters Image caption Opposition supporters erupted in applause as the verdict was announced

Image copyright EPA Image caption Head of the Jamaat-e-Islami group, Siraj ul Haq (left), shares sweets with opposition supporters

Allegations of corruption have dogged Mr Sharif since the 1980s. And much of what the Panama Papers revealed was the subject of a federal inquiry in the mid-1990s.

What happens next?

It is not immediately clear who will succeed Mr Sharif, but his brother Shehbaz, who is chief minister of Punjab province, is seen as a strong contender for the job.

Pakistan's ruling party, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), will be permitted by the speaker of the National Assembly to select an interim prime minister to rule until the 2018 general election.

The PML-N, which has the most seats in parliament, is expected to deliver a statement later on Friday.

Opposition parties will also have the opportunity to put forward their own candidates for the position.

Meanwhile, the court has directed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), the main anti-corruption body, to compile and send four references to accountability courts against Mr Sharif and others.

The NAB has been directed to file these references within six weeks. The accountability courts have been directed to complete hearings in these cases in six months.

What did the Panama Papers reveal?

The leaks in April 2016 revealed that three of Mr Sharif's children owned offshore companies and assets not shown on his family's wealth statement.

The companies were allegedly used to channel funds to acquire foreign assets, including some apartments along Park Lane in London's Mayfair area.

Despite documents from the Panama Papers suggesting that the beneficial owner of the luxury central London flats was Mr Sharif's daughter Maryam, she later claimed that she was only a trustee - and that it was her brother who was the beneficial owner.

To prove her point, Maryam Nawaz produced a trust deed signed by both her and her brother dated February 2006.

But a British forensic expert later said the document was "fake" or had been "falsified" because it was typed in the Calibri font, which was not commercially available until 2007.

The insinuation that the offshore companies were meant to hide or launder ill-gotten wealth or to avoid taxes called Mr Sharif's credentials into question.

What is the mood in Pakistan?

Local media on Friday showed crowds assembled outside the Supreme Court in Islamabad cheering the court's verdict.

As the verdict was announced, opposition supporters erupted in applause, rushing into the street chanting slogans and handing out sweets, according to reports.

The vice-chairman of the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) party, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, called it an "historic day" and praised the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) for "not succumbing to the enormous pressure and serving the cause of justice."

The verdict was announced amid heightened security in the capital, with about 3,000 armed police and members of the Pakistan Rangers paramilitary force deployed near and around the Supreme Court.

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption There was a large security presence outside Pakistan's Supreme Court ahead of the ruling

The ruling represents the peak of a drama that has fuelled news coverage and social media debates for months, attracting both scorn and ridicule as well as trenchant support for the prime minister.

The divisions fall largely along party lines but amid the febrile accusations, many have also expressed concerns over Pakistan's political culture.

The Wikipedia profile of the prime minister has also been littered with obscenities and accusations.

Mr Sharif is not the first prime minister to lose his position following the leaking of documents from the Panamanian law firm.

Iceland's prime minister was forced to resign after documents appeared to reveal that he and his wife concealed millions of dollars' worth of investments in an offshore company. </s> Pakistan's Prime Minister Resigns After Court Disqualifies Him From Office

Pakistan's prime minister is out of a job. That country's Supreme Court has ordered Nawaz Sharif to leave his office following accusations of corruption. Last year, the so-called Panama Papers dump revealed that Sharif's children own expensive properties in London, and that led to an investigation into his family. Today the Supreme Court also ordered a separate trial to look at the finances of Sharif and his adult children, one of whom was being groomed as his successor. For more, we are joined now by NPR's Diaa Hadid reporting from Islamabad. Diaa, corruption is a broad word. What exactly has Sharif done to provoke the Supreme Court to make what is really a very extraordinary move?

DIAA HADID, BYLINE: The court just simply believes that Sharif and his family couldn't directly and clearly answer how they came into so much money. It wasn't just these - sorry. It wasn't just these expensive apartments in London that were mentioned in the Panama Papers that seemed to be owned through offshore companies that were directed back to his children. But it was about other businesses as well.

It was this dense tangle of businesses and money and consistently, whenever the judges had asked questions to Sharif's lawyers in the court, the lawyers would answer on procedural grounds that the court had no right to ask this question, that it had gone out of its mandate. And finally, after five days of hearings, the judges came back and said, we don't think you're honest. And that's a prerogative that the court has in Pakistan.

MARTIN: They do. So the court - even though Nawaz Sharif hasn't been charged with a crime - right? But the court can just say, we don't believe you're fit for office?

HADID: Exactly, exactly. It's a controversial power that the court has. But it's certainly one that they've used in the past. The last prime minister was also dismissed for contempt of court. But this case goes a lot further than that because it's seen as upturning this political dynasty that is so strong in Pakistan. The Sharifs are one of the richest families. It's - Sharif has, you know - used to run the federal government. He had a lot of power. He held several ministries, not just being the prime minister.

And so this is why people in this country really look at this decision. And whether they're for it or against it, they're somewhat stumped by the immense power the Supreme Court has really exercised in this case.

MARTIN: What's it like to be in Islamabad right now?

HADID: It's pretty exciting. There was a cordon - the Supreme Court was cordoned off. There was just hundreds of police and security forces everywhere trying to keep people out. There's dozens of security - sorry - satellite trucks just broadcasting live from the Supreme Court. And now as we watch Pakistan TV, we can see protests popping up all over the country in support of Nawaz and against Nawaz. There were men who were dancing in the streets. And we're expecting...

HADID: The politically opposition, clearly. (Laughter) That's right. And we're expecting to see other demonstrations in support of Nawaz as the day rolls on.

MARTIN: So what now? I mean, how - who's going to be the next prime minister? How does that person come to office?

MARTIN: Is there an election?

HADID: No. So it will be decided by the party itself. And they have accepted the court's decision - you know, with reservations. But they have accepted it. And so now they have to decide who will be next.

And this actually is a problem for Sharif's party because the person who was seen as inheriting Sharif's position was his daughter. But now she also will be going to trial, and she's facing her own corruption charges. And so there is a bit of chaos within the party itself over who will now step forward, who can step forward and take the reins.

MARTIN: It might be a total outsider?

HADID: There's a few centers of power within this party. It's a big party. It's a storied party. And for a while, the tussle was between the interior minister and the defense minister, who is seen as a Sharif loyalist. But the party is clear that Nawaz Sharif will still be the head of the party, even if he's not the prime minister of Pakistan.

MARTIN: NPR's Diaa Hadid reporting from Islamabad on this breaking news out of Pakistan. The Supreme Court there has ruled that the prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, should leave office over corruption allegations.

Diaa, thanks so much. </s> ISLAMABAD, July 28 (APP): Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif

 was disqualified Friday by the Supreme Court in a unanimous verdict, following a judicial probe under Article 62 of the Constitution.

 “Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif is not honest in terms of

 Section 99(f) of Representation of Peoples Act and Article

 62(1)(f) of the Constitution of Pakistan and therefore he is

 disqualified to be a member of the Majlis-e-Shoora,” the

 decision of the five-member bench said about Nawaz Sharif, who still

 had almost a year in power.

 The court in its final verdict termed Nawaz Sharif’s

 failure to disclose his “un-withdrawn receivables constituting

 assets from Capital FZE Jebel Ali, UAE” in the general

 election of 2013 – the major reason for his disqualification.

 “The President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is required to

 take all necessary steps under the Constitution to

 ensure continuation of the democratic process,” the order added.

 The five-member larger bench headed by Justice Asif Saeed Khan Khosa

 and comprising Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan, Justice Gulzar Ahmad, Justice

 Shiekh Azmat Saeed and Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan unanimously disqualified

 the prime minister.

 The bench had earlier ordered formation of a joint

 investigation team (JIT) after a trial, on a number of

 petitions that sought answers to questions raised by a trove of secret documents unearthed by an International Consortium of

 Journalists that exposed how politicians, bureaucrats and

 businessmen had stashed away billions of dollars of their

 wealth, ostensibly to save tax in the safe havens of Panama.

 The PTI filed its petition on August 29, 2016 seeking the

 prime minister’s disqualification, which along with others of

 Sheikh Rashid Ahmed of Awami Tehreek and Jamat-e-Islami,

 was accepted by the court in October.

 The six-member JIT headed by an additional director of the

 Federal Investigation Agency and members from Securities and

 Exchange Commission, State Bank of Pakistan, National Accountability

 Bureau, Military Intelligence and Inter Services Intelligence, in a

 60-day probe submitted the ten-volume report.

 Announcing the verdict, Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan said the judgment

 was in continuation of judgments dated 20-04-2017 in constitution

 petitions No 29, 30 of 2016 and constitution petition No 03 of 2017,

 which ended up in the following order of the court:

 “By a majority of 3 to 2 (Asif Saeed Khan Khosa and Gulzar Ahmed,

 JJ) dissenting, who have given separate declarations and directions, we

 hold that the questions how did Gulf Steel Mill come into being; what

 led to its sale; what happened to its liabilities; where did its sale proceeds end up; how did they reach Jeddah, Qatar and the UK; whether respondents No 7 and 8 in view of their tender ages had the means in

 the early nineties to possess and purchase the flats; whether sudden appearance of the letters of Hamad Bin Jassim Bin Jaber Al-Thani

 is a myth or a reality; how bearer shares crystallized into the flats;

 who, in fact, is the real and beneficial owner of M/s Nielsen

 Enterprises Limited and Nescoll Limited, how did Hill Metal

 Establishment come into existence; where did the money for Flagship Investment Limited and other companies set up/taken over by respondent

 No 8 come from, and where did the working capital for such companies

 come from and where do the huge sums running into millions gifted by respondent No 7 to respondent No 1 drop in from, which go to the heart

 of the matter and need to be answered. Therefore, a thorough

 investigation in this behalf is required.”

 The court directed the Election Commission of Pakistan to issue a

 notification disqualifying Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif from being a

 Member of the Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament) with immediate effect,

 whereafter he shall cease to be the Prime Minister of Pakistan.

 The court stated that the National Accountability Bureau

 (NAB) shall within six weeks from the date of this judgment prepare

 and file before the Accountability Court,

 Rawalpindi/Islamabad, the following References, on the basis of

 the material collected and referred to by the Joint Investigating

 Team (JIT) in its report and such other material as may be

 available with the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and NAB

 having any nexus with assets mentioned below or which

 may subsequently become available including material that may come

 before it pursuant to the Mutual Legal Assistance requests sent by

 the JIT to different jurisdictions:-

 a) Reference against Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif,

 (respondents No. 1), Maryam Nawaz Sharif (Maryam Safdar),

 (Respondent No. 6), Hussain Nawaz Sharif (Respondent No. 7),

 Hassan Nawaz Sharif (Respondent No. 8) and Capt. (Retd).

 Muhammad Safdar (Respondent No. 9) relating to the

 Avenfield properties (Flats No. 16, 16-A, 17 and 17-A Avenfield

 House, Park Lane, London, United Kingdom). In preparing and

 filing this Reference, the NAB shall also consider the

 material already collected during the course of

 investigations conducted earlier, as indicated in the detailed

 judgments;

 b) Reference against respondents No. 1, 7 and 8

 regarding Azizia Steel Company and Hill Metal Establishment, as

 indicated in the main judgment;

 c) Reference against respondents No. 1, 7 and 8

 regarding the Companies including Flagship Investments

 Limited, Hartstone Properties Limited, Que Holdings Limited,

 Quint Eaton Place 2 Limited, Quint Saloane Limited (formerly

 Quint Eaton Place Limited), Quaint Limited, Flagship

 Securities Limited, Quint Gloucester Place Limited, Quint

 Paddington Limited (formerly Rivates Estates Limited),

 Flagship Developments Limited, Alanna Services Limited (BVI),

 Lankin SA (BVI), Chadron Inc, Ansbacher Inc, Coomber Inc; and

 Capital FZE (Dubai).

 d) Reference against Ishaq Dar (respondent No. 10)

 for possessing assets and funds beyond his known sources of

 income, as discussed in the judgment unanimous rendered by

 Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan, Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed and Justice

 Ijaz ul Ahsan;

 e) NAB shall also include in the proceedings all

 other persons including Sheikh Saeed, Musa Ghani, Kashif Masood

 Qazi, Javaid Kiyani and Saeed Ahmed, who have any direct or

 indirect nexus or connection with the actions of respondents No.

 1, 6, 7, 8 and 10 leading to acquisition of assets and funds beyond

 their known sources of income;

 f) NAB may file supplementary Reference(s) if and when

 any other asset, which is not prima facie reasonably accounted

 for, is discovered;

 g) The Accountability Court shall proceed with and

 decide the references within a period of six months from the date

 of filing such References; and

 h) In case the Accountability Court finds any deed,

 document or affidavit filed by or on behalf of the respondent(s)

 or any other person(s) to be fake, false, forged or fabricated,

 it shall take appropriate action against the concerned person

 in accordance with law.

 The bench requested the chief justice to nominate a judge

 of this court to supervise and monitor implementation of this

 judgment in letter and spirit and oversee the proceedings conducted

 by NAB and the Accountability Court in these matters.

 The court commends and appreciates the hard work and efforts

 made by Members of the JIT and their support and ancillary staff in preparing and filing a comprehensive and detailed report as per

 our orders. Their tenure of service shall be safeguarded and

 protected and no adverse action of any nature including transfer

 and posting shall be taken against them without informing

 the monitoring Judge of this Court nominated by the chief justice. </s> Pakistan is waiting with a baited breath for the Supreme Court’s decision in the high-profile Panamagate case against Prime Minster Nawaz Sharif and his children amid speculation that the adverse ruling may force him to step down. The Supreme Court announced yesterday that its five- member bench will issue the verdict in Panama case later in the day. The case was launched on November 3 and the court held 35 hearings before concluding the proceedings on February 23.

The case was based on several identical petitions by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chief Imran Khan and others about alleged illegal assets of the family of Sharif in London. The assets surfaced when Panama papers showed that they were managed through offshore companies owned by Sharif’s children.

The petitioners have asked the court to disqualify 67- year-old Sharif under Article 62 and 63 of the constitution because he was involved in corruption and was no more “honest” and “truthful” as given in the Constitution. It is generally believed the court may not disqualify the Prime Minister but it may pass comments which will bring a lot of moral pressure on Sharif to step down.

“I don’t think he will be disqualified but his moral authority may be impacted,” said Manzoor Wassan, a senior leader of opposition Pakistan People Party (PPP). Asif Ali Zardari, the co-chairman of PPP, in an interview with a private TV channel asked Sharif to resign in case the decision was against him.

“We did not resist when the Supreme Court disqualified [then premier] Yousaf Raza Gilani. We chose another prime minister. Nawaz should do the same,” said Zardari. Zardari’s handpicked Prime Minister Gilani stepped down in 2012 when the Supreme Court convicted him for disobeying court orders.

Zardari chaired an important meeting of PPP yesterday and also called another meeting today after the decision will be announced to assess the political situation. Sharif’s nemesis Imran Khan and his party announced to launch movement for next election irrespective of the outcome of the decision. Khan held a meeting of party leaders yesterday and asked them to stay in Islamabad to decide further course of action after the court verdict.

Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, one of the petitioners, said that the decision will be “historic”. “It will result in a political earthquake in the country,” he said in Rawalpindi.

Meanwhile, in a series of tweets Maryam Nawaz dispelled the impression that the premier was worried about the expected judgement in Panama case.

“People love Nawaz Sharif. It is not about the prime minister speaking. It’s what he’s speaking. His narrative is constructive and about development and progress. Eyes forward, mind focused, heart ready…game on, world ! Wazir-e-Azam Nawaz Sharif,” one of her tweet said.

She also taunted the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf saying: “When all your plans have miserably failed and your precarious future hinges on… your best bet is a court decision”.

Sharif’s supporters are adamant that their leader was “innocent” and will emerge stronger after the verdict. “His name is not in the Panama leaks. He is not committed any wrong. So he will be victorious,” said Railway Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique. Rafique also said that election will be held on time (next year).

The security has been increased in and around the court. Dozens of policemen and personnel of law enforcing agencies are present around the court premises. Regardless of the impact of the decision, it is believed that it will be an important milestone in the fight against corruption. </s> The Supreme Court of Pakistan has disqualified the country’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif over corruption charges.

The decision regarding the disqualification of Sharif as Pakistan’s Premier was announced today after he was found guilty of involvement in corruption.

According to the local media reports, Sharif was found guilty of the involvement in corruption cases, specifically the millions of dollars of business being operated by his children.

The verdict was apparently issued after investigations revealed that businesses worth millions of dollars belong to the three children of Sharif, including his two sons and his daughter Maryam Sharif.

The Office of the President of Pakistan in a statement confirmed that the premier has stepped down from his post.

The statement stated that Mr. Sharif has stepped down following the verdict of the court despite he has ‘strong reservations’ on the verdict of the Supreme Court.

A spokesperson for Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) has said that the party will utilise all legal and constitutional means to contest the verdict.

The court reportedly reviewed the corruption allegations against Sharif based on the demands of political leader Imran Khan regarding the Panama Leaks documents.

Follow Khaama Press (KP) | Afghan News Agency on Twitter, become a fan on Facebook. Stay updated via RSS </s> Supreme Court rules there is not enough evidence to order Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's removal over alleged corruption.

Pakistan's Supreme Court has ruled there was insufficient evidence to oust Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif over corruption allegations, but has ordered a high-level investigation into the charges.

The court issued its verdict on Thursday afternoon in a case based on the "Panama Papers" leaks that was moved by opposition leaders seeking his removal from office.

"The Supreme Court has decided … the same thing that Nawaz Sharif himself had decided six months ago, when he ordered the formation of a commission to investigate [the allegations]," Khwaja Asif, a senior leader of Sharif's ruling PML-N party, told reporters outside the courthouse following the announcement.

Sharif will remain in office during the course of the investigation, which will also focus on his sons Hassan and Hussain, the verdict said.
The Prime Minister of Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif resigns after the Supreme Court disqualifies him from holding public office following a verdict that he had been dishonest in not disclosing his employment in the Dubai-based Capital FZE company in his nomination papers.