Daily Times

TAXILA: Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Friday said that Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari lecturing others on articles 62 and 63 on honesty was a sign of apocalypse.

Addressing a news conference in Taxila, the minister claimed that there was no difference of opinion between the judges giving the Panamagate verdict.

“Though two judges put forth a different opinion than the rest of the five-member bench in the Panamagate case… all of them agreed to form a Joint Investigation Team (JIT),” Nisar said.

The verdict stated that there was not enough evidence to disqualify the premier, but the PM and his sons would still have to appear before the JIT – consisting of members of various government agencies – to explain how they came to acquire their foreign assets.

“Two judges gave a different decision [than the rest] but the JIT suggestion had signatures and ownership of all of them,” the minister added.

He criticised all “those talking against the decision and hinting at/launching protests against the decision”.

“Let’s leave it up to the apex court to decide on the issue, as the JIT report will be submitted to it after the probe,” he said. No decision of the judiciary, the interior minister added, could be made on the basis of personal desires of some people.

Nisar reiterated that the apex court “gives decisions based on evidence and not mere doubt”. “The case is sub judice and the JIT has been formed to further probe the case.”

According to the minister, the premier had directed everyone [in government] not to let the decision of the judiciary become controversial. Confusingly, he said there was “no such thing as a 2:3 decision”, referring to the split decision.

The minister, however, admitted that the top court was not satisfied by the Sharif family’s money trail produced in the court.

Nisar further said the report on the news leaks would be released by Monday or Tuesday. “The delay in the release of Dawn leaks report was due to the court’s verdict [in Panamagate case],” he said.