Panama review petition: SC accepts Sharif family plea for 5-judge bench

Panama review petition: SC accepts Sharif family plea for 5-judge bench

Islamabad (Staff Report): In a Panama case verdict the Supreme Court (SC) has accepted Sharif family's plea to form a five member bench to review verdict, on Tuesday.

A three-member bench of the apex court comprising Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed and Justice Ijazul Ehsan, resumed the hearing that was headed by Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan.

According to details, SC has decided that instead of three, a five-judge bench will be formed to hear the review petitions of ousted PM Nawaz Sharif, his children, son-in-law and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar against the July 28 Panama Papers case verdict.

However, the judges are the same as those on the special implementation bench that oversaw work of the Panama case Joint Investigation Team (JIT). 

The plea was submitted to the court by the counsel by Nawaz's children, Salman Akram Raja, to form a five-member bench to hear their review petitions.

Justice Ejaz observed that the three-judge bench gave the majority verdict in the Panama Papers case and that the decision would not have been different had the three-judge bench given a verdict in the case.

Justice Azmat Saeed gave remarks that we do not have intentions to affect your clients. However, SC has accepted Salman Akram Raja’s plea and refered the case to Chief Justice.   

The hearing was then adjourned till tomorrow (Wednesday).