ISALAMBAD: State Minister for Information Marriyum Aurangzeb said on Monday the prime minister was appearing before the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) in deference to the orders of the SC, to uphold the law and constitution and to honour the trust of the people who had thrice elected him as the chief executive. She observed that the PM not only presented himself for accountability but also his children and three generations of the Sharifs, notwithstanding certain reservations about the JIT and the fact that his sons were non-residents of the country and he had nothing to do with the business run by his late father Mian Sharif. She said that it was a ranting testimony to their respect for law and the constitution. Marriyum remarked that the PM had requested the SC for the formation of a judicial commission to hold a probe into the Panama Leaks. The minister pointed out that when the Panama Leaks surfaced, the ICIJ which made this revelation, on its website apologised and stated that Nawaz Sharif had nothing to do with the reported scandal. She said that the entire nation was aware of the fact that Nawaz had dissociated himself from the government when a calculated attempt was made to deprive the judiciary of its constitutional status through “Dogar court”. She said that undeterred by the imposition of governor’s rule in Punjab and having him declared disqualified for life by the Dogar Court, he on his own led a successful long march for the restoration of the respect and dignity of the judiciary. The movement that he spearheaded was not for clinching political power or having his ineligibility for premiership revoked but for upholding the rule of law in the country and restoring the sanctity of higher judiciary, she said. Marriyum said the PM had decided to make an appearance before the JIT even before the summons were issued. She said that when the PM wrote the letter to the SC for the formation of judicial commission or JIT, he implemented the decision the same day. The PM, she said, right from the beginning had made a commitment that whenever the SC would summon his children according to the law and constitution, they would appear before the court. The minister said that Nawaz and PML-N believed in upholding the sanctity of the constitution of Pakistan and had never shied away from the courts as and when required, like some people who in the past did not appear before the courts on different pretexts like back pain, heart pain, mental stress and security reasons. Marriyum said that she was proud that Nawaz upheld the law and constitution of Pakistan, adding that she was also proud of the fact that Pakistan had a democratically elected PM and democracy was gaining strength, which was good news for the people. The minister said those who were using the social media did not have the courage to face the nation. Referring to Imran Khan, she said, “He tweets and goes on social media while sitting in a room, uses public resources while sitting atop mountains and claims that he compelled the PM to appear before the Supreme Court.”