Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Justice Asif Saeed Khosa remarked on Wednesday that the Supreme Court never used terms like ‘godfather’ and the ‘Sicilian Mafia’ for former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in the Panama Papers case judgment. Wrapping up two contempt of court notices against a private TV channel, Justice Khosa observed that several statements were being attributed to the apex court these days that were not made by the judges. Addressing Additional Attorney General (AAG) Amir Rehman during the hearing, Justice Khosa inquired if he had read the Panama Papers judgment and if it included the use of these terms for Nawaz. The AAG replied that he had read the verdict and confirmed that it did not use these terms for the former prime minister. Justice Khosa observed that during the contempt case hearing against Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Senator Nehal Hashmi, the court had responded to Hashmi’s remarks that “we will not let them live on this land” by stating that it was Sicilian Mafia which used to murder judges’ children. Justice Khosa remarked further that the Supreme Court had asked if a smuggler, killer or robber can head a political party, adding that certain comments of the bench were played up by the media. Justice Khosa headed the five-member bench that disqualified Nawaz Sharif in its July 28 judgment in the Panama Papers case.

Published in Daily Times, February 22^nd 2018.