ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Thursday welcomed the judicial proceedings in the Panama Papers case, as the Supreme Court (SC) issued notices to Nawaz and others. Earlier in the day, the SC had taken up five petitions, involving the premier and several others. “I welcome the judicial proceedings in connection with the Panama Papers,” he said. In a statement issued after consultation with his legal team, he said, “The court of public opinion has been making decisions… it would be better to wait for the judiciary’s decision.” The premier held the opposition responsible for the prolonged delay in the investigation of the matter by a judicial commission. He said that he had not only made his stance on the matter clear in the National Assembly and before the people, but had also announced a commission to probe the Panamagate. The petitions maintain that the premier and his dependants were involved in establishing offshore firms, as exposed by the Panama Papers, and that the premier concealed assets of his dependants and also concealed the truth from the National Assembly. The petitions also added that the premier was no longer eligible to hold office under articles 62 and 63 of the constitution. Pakistan People’s Party leader Khurshid Shah on Wednesday had accused the prime minister of accentuating the crisis by refusing to probe the Panama Papers scandal. Despite commencement of the judicial proceedings in connection with the leaks, PTI chief Imran Khan refused to withdraw his protest call for November 2 protest and said that the capital would be locked down as per schedule.