May 20 , 2015
News
Larger bench requested for PM money laundering case
LAHORE: An application has been filed in the Lahore High Court requesting constitution of a seven-member larger bench to hear a petition seeking disqualification of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif over a money laundering case. Barrister Javed Iqbal Jafree has filed this application in his already pending 26-year-old petition. A five-member full bench is already hearing arguments on the maintainability of the petition. In his application, Barrister Jafree stated that five-member bench had asked to advance more arguments on maintainability of his main petition. He stated that the present five-member bench has no jurisdiction to seek arguments on the maintainability point. He requested to constitute a seven-member bench for further hearing and decision on the main petition without taking up the matter of its maintainability. Barrister Jafree had filed the petition some 25 years ago submitting that Nawaz Sharif, the present prime minister, in different times, shifted billions of rupees abroad. He alleged that he misused his powers and made a number of appointments in violation of the merit. He also alleged that the prime minister’s two sons had also obtained British citizenship and running businesses there. Nawaz Sharif, the petitioner said, was also involved in selling plots of worth millions against billions of rupees. He alleged that till the date, Nawaz Sharif shifted $7 billion in foreign accounts. He submitted that Nawaz Sharif was not eligible to hold any office under Article 62, 63 and Article 2 A of the Constitution. He said he be restrained from contesting election and holding public office. The petitioner also prayed to the court to constitute a larger bench comprising seven judges of the LHC to hear the case. In 2010, a bench headed by the former chief justice Ijaz Chaudhry heard the case and decided that a bench at least of more than five judges should hear the case. Earlier on October 21, 2014, a division bench had referred the case to the CJ for constituting a larger bench to deal with this case. The larger bench could not be constituted and during the last week, the case again was fixed before a single bench of single bench which again referred the case back to the registrar’s office for fixing it before some larger bench.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk