Daily Times

The Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday disposed of a petition pertaining to the Volume-X of Joint Investigation Team (JIT) report in the Panama Papers case, after the petitioner requested permission to withdraw it. The three-member bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial heard the case filed by the Broadsheet Company seeking access to the Volume-X of the JIT report.

Justice Athar Minallah remarked that the petitioner had prayed the court to open the Volume-X for an international mediation, but after its (mediation process’) completion, the petition had become ineffective. The petitioner’s lawyer Latif Khosa Advocate said that the case had not yet become ineffective. Why the said volume was kept secret and it was the right of public to know about it under Article 19 of the Constitution.

Justice Minallah remarked that the court would not go into it as a former prime minister was removed from his office in that case.

Addressing the lawyer, he said that the petitioner required that volume for a proceeding in mediation court and now that proceeding had been concluded. The Additional Attorney General said that the Broadsheet Company had received its 20 percent share worth 28 million dollars from the recovered property.

Latif Khosa said that as per the contract the company would be given 20 percent share from the recovered property of Sharif family but where was the 80 percent public share. Justice Athar Minallah asked the lawyer to only represent his client instead of referring to the public. If there was something important in Volume-X, the five member bench of the top court must have written about it, he added.

CJP Bandial observed that the Broadsheet Company had nothing to say as the matter pertaining to the report had been addressed. The five-member bench had not written about Volume-X in the Panama case, he said, adding the lawyer could file a separate case in that regard if he wanted. The court, subsequently, disposed of the petition after the same was withdrawn by the petitioner.