Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) will file a reference in the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for disqualification of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and lawmakers Captain (Retd) Muhammad Safdar and Hamza Shahbaz on Monday (today).

PPP Secretary General Latif Khosa will visit the ECP in the afternoon to file the reference. The text of the reference says that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif concealed assets of his wife and children, lied about his income in his tax returns and sent money abroad through illegal channels. “Keeping in view the above facts, Nawaz Sharif does not qualify for prime minister’s office under Articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution; therefore, he may be disqualified,” the reference reads.

Sources told Daily Times that a letter issued by the State Bank of Pakistan against the Sharifs would also be attached to the reference.

Khosa had done necessary spadework for the reference sometime ago, but he was waiting for the outcome of the parliamentary committee discussing terms of reference for the judicial commission on the Panama leaks. Now the reference is being filed because the parliamentary committee has failed to reach a consensus on the terms of reference for the judicial commission.

The sources said that this time the PPP would not give any concessions to Nawaz Sharif and all necessary evidence would be attached to the reference.

On Friday, The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) filed a petition in an election tribunal seeking disqualification of the prime minister.

PTI representative Dr Yasmin Rashid stated in the petition that the prime minister was not eligible to stay in the office under Article 62 and 63 of the Constitution. She said the prime minister did not declare his assets when he filed nomination papers for the 2013 general election. “We have enough evidence to get the prime minister disqualified,” Rashid said while talking to the media outside the offices of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in Islamabad.

“The PTI has been left with only one option and that is to take the matter of the Panama leaks to the court, as no headway has been made on the terms of reference for the enquiry commission,” says PTI spokesperson Naeemul Haque.