SC not given conducive environment for Panama case proceedings: Saad Rafique

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader and Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique on Friday said that the Supreme Court was not given space to carry on proceedings in a conducive environment on the Panama leaks case.

Saad Rafique made the above-mentioned statements during Geo News' show 'Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Saath'.

“Some of them had a sit-in at Shahra-e-Dastoor,” said Rafique, pointing towards the 2014 protest of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf outside the Parliament House.

He further said that some politicians also made appearances on TV channels during the proceedings to gave statements.

“Judges aren’t like us, politicians, they have a sensitive side,” Rafique said.

It is remarkable how the honourable judges gave a verdict in such a situation, he added. Rafique maintained that the judges faced pressure, calling it a conspiracy.

“If I am wrong then challenge me,” he said.

He said that those who didn’t follow the SC proceedings and were critical of it throughout, now demand the resignation. “Why should we resign over that,” said the PML-N leader.

Rafique said that those who were demanding the resignation hardly constitute one-third of the National Assembly, and the ruling party cannot resign over that.

The Minister for Railways said that his party had reservations over the dissenting note of the two judges, although the PML-N remained quite in order to maintain decency over the matter.

The Supreme Court in its verdict on Thursday neither cleared nor gave orders for the premier’s disqualification. The ruling PML-N had declared the verdict a 'victory' for the party and said it would observe 'Thanksgiving' day on Friday.

The SC, in its historic verdict also ordered the formation of a Joint Investigation team (JIT) to carry out an investigation into how Gulf Steel Mill came into being, its sale and liabilities, how the sale proceeds ended up in Jeddah, Qatar and the UK, and how the Prime Minister's children at their tender age had the means to purchase the flats in the early nineties.

- Edited by Nida Mujahid Hussain