Pakistan Supreme Court Calls Nawaz Sharif Govt Sicilian Mafia

ISLAMABAD: While serving a contempt of court notice to Senator Nehal Hashmi on Thursday for his threatening speech that stumped the internet, the Supreme Court of Pakistan said only Sicilian Mafia of Italy issued such threats.

Hashmi, who in a speech issued threats to those conducting probe of Sharif family assets faced a hard time when the top court took a suo-moto notice of his speech and summoned him.

The senator who appeared before the three-member bench on Thursday was reprimanded for his comments that stirred controversy among the power corridors. The apex court sought Hashmi’s reply regarding the contempt of court notice by Monday besides appointing Attorney General Ashtar Ausaf as a prosecutor.

The SC bench, headed by Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan, which had a particularly fiery exchange with the attorney general (AG) on Thursday, came down hard on Hashmi over his controversial remarks, saying only mafias and terrorists threaten children.

Justice Ejaz stated that the bench had directed the Supreme Court registrar to nominate persons for the [Panama case] Joint Investigation Team.

The judges asked the Attorney General (AG) whether he was aware of what was going on. “It seems that the government’s self-proclaimed spokespersons let no opportunity for maligning the courts slip by,” Justice Ejaz Afzal remarked.

“It is not our custom to bring our children into our fights,” Justice Sheikh Azmat chimed in, referring to the senator’s threats. “Mr Attorney General, what kind of people involve children in their fights,” he asked.

“The cowardly kind,” replied AG Ashtar Ausaf.

“No, not cowards – it is terrorists and the mafia who do such things,” responded Justice Azmat.

‘You are requesting us to back off, do you know how issues of such threats’ inquired Justice Azmat Saeed and added that Sicilian Mafia of Italy issued such threats.

To this, the Attorney General replied that such warnings are issued by cowards however, justice Azmat Saeed negated him and replied : Mafias and terrorists issue such threats.

Justice Azmat Saeed observed that the judiciary faced a dictator back in November 2007 but even then no one frightened families of judges.

PML-N’s stalwart while clarifying his statement in court room claimed that he was fasting and he could not think of threatening any state institutions.

After the proceedings Nehal came out of the supreme court building and had a brief conversation with newsmen clarifying his outrageous statements.

He expressed that he opened up about a mindset in his speech adding that he solemnly affirmed that he did not threatened any institution.

‘I beg forgiveness from Allah Almighty and judiciary’ noted Nehal Hashmi and added that he made a sweeping statement.

‘I did not speak against members of JIT or judiciary’ added the senator.

Nehal Hashmi’s Outrageous Speech

Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) leader Nehal Hashmi came into the limelight on Wednesday when a video surfaced in which he can be seen threatening judiciary in a veiled reference.

The video that went viral on the internet shows a disgruntled Senator Nehal warning rivals and ‘some honourable officials associated with top institutions’ of dire consequences if they continued their concerns with the accountability of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

“Whoever is asking for accountability will retire tomorrow and we will deal with them,” insinuated Hashmi in a veiled threat to the top judiciary currently probing the ruling Sharif family in the backdrop of Panama papers.

“Those grilling… [be warned that] we will arrange the day of judgment for you.”

“You are making the life of the prime minister difficult. The Pakistani nation will make it difficult for you to live,” he added, without taking any names.

Hashmi’s Party Membership Cancelled

Hashmi’s party membership was revoked on Wednesday after the prime minister house took a notice of his speech.

“A show-cause notice has also been issued to the senator,” said Dr Asif Kirmani, the adviser to Prime Minister on Political Affairs.

“We have also demanded his (Hashmi’s) resignation from Senate,” State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb said, in a statement.

Later, Hashmi tendered his resignation to Chairman Senate.

SC’s Comparison Of Government With Sicilian Mafia ‘Deplorable’

The remarks of Supreme Court judges against the government are ‘deplorable’ and “against the traditions, oath and moral conduct” of the apex court, the government spokesperson said on Thursday.

“The judges’ remarks hurt the identity and image of Pakistan in the world,” the spokesperson said in a statement, adding that an SC judge “ignored the PM’s action against Nehal Hashmi” over inflammatory speech against the Panama Joint Investigation Team members.

The statement comes after the SC decided to open a case against PML-N’s sacked senator Nehal Hashmi for railing against “those investigating” the prime minister’s family and threatening them with “consequences”.

Hashmi’s party membership was suspended as soon as the PM house came to know of this statement and he was directed to tender his resignation from the Senate, according to Minister of State for Information Marriyum Aurangzeb.

The PML-N stalwart had also resigned from Senate on Wednesday, before the CJP took suo moto notice of his anti-judiciary speech.

The Panama Story

The issue of Panama Leaks came to light on April 4, 2016, as part of a massive leak of secret files from a Panamanian law firm that specialises in setting up offshore companies. A trove of 11.5 million digital records from the Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca last year revealed how world’s wealthy used offshore companies to stash assets.

According to the Panama Papers, three of Nawaz Sharif’s four children – Maryam, Hasan and Hussain – were owners of offshore companies and “were owners or had the right to authorise transactions for several companies.” but the Sharif family has dismissed the allegations of money laundering and denied any wrongdoing.

Since the Panama Papers in June 2016, opposition parties have been jumping at the opportunity to register their protests and mobilise supporters to rally against Nawaz Sharif.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf sporadically hit back at the government and a coalesced opposition led by Pakistan Peoples Party initially tried to draft Terms of References (TOR).

The parliamentary committee discussed the TOR’s in its meetings. During this time, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif went to London for his open-heart surgery. On June 20, opposition parties boycotted the parliamentary committee proceedings.

Later, PTI chief Imran Khan announced that he would initiate a protest against the government. Following this, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf filed a petition in the Supreme Court on August 29 against the Prime Minister’s family.

However, the apex court returned the petition terming it ‘frivolous’.

In early September, Imran Khan led a huge rally in the provincial capital and announced his decision to stage a massive gathering in Raiwind on September 30.

Meanwhile, Speaker of National Assembly Ayyaz Sadiq also dismissed disqualification references against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif but forwarded references against Imran Khan and Jahangir Tareen to Election Commission.

On October 20, 2016, the Supreme Court took up petitions by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Jamaat-e-Islami, Jamhoori Watan Party and others for hearing in an open court.

Imran Khan who vowed to lock down the capital on November 2 announced that he was calling off the protest after the court issued notices to Premier Nawaz Sharif and others.

On November 3, the apex court declared the petitions maintainable and announced a single-member commission to probe into he Panama Leaks.

As a consequence, the proceedings started in the Supreme Court and PTI presented their arguments before the three-member bench comprising Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali, Justice Ijazul Hassan and Justice Khilji Arif Hussain.

On November 15, the ruling Sharif family submitted a letter by Qatari prince Jasim which suggested that the London flats were purchased through a joint investment done by Nawaz Sharif’s father, the late Mian Shareef.

On December 9, the apex court adjourned the hearing till January due to the retirement of Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf changed their lawyer from Hamid Khan to Naeem Bukhari, while Akram Sheikh represented Sharif children’s. Nawaz Sharif himself was defended by Makhdoom Ali Khan.

On January 6, a new five-member bench headed by Asif Saeed Khosa and comprising Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan, Justice Gulzar Ahmed, Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed and Justice Ejaz ul Ahsan ordered Sharif family to submit the money trail for their offshore properties and businesses.

During the last week of January, Sharif family submitted the money trail including another Qatari letter, affidavit of Tariq Shafi, Dubai and Azizia factory sale receipt, Hudaibia paper mills audit report and other documents.

After scores of proceedings, the apex court completed its proceedings on February 23 and announced that they had reserved the judgment.

Heading a five-judge bench hearing a slew of petitions against the Sharif family, Justice Asif Saeed Khosa observed that 26,000 pages were submitted in the case and the judges will read “each word” of it.

“We will decide this case only by the law, in such a way that 20 years down the line, people will be able to say that this judgment was made by the book,” Justice Khosa said.