Pakistan court issues warrant against ex-PM
ISLAMABAD — A Pakistani court yesterday issued arrest warrants for ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in two cases of corruption spiralling from the Panama Papers leak, his lawyers said.
Sharif is currently in London with his wife Kalsum as she undergoes cancer treatment, and has not returned to Pakistan since he was indicted in the corruption allegations earlier this month, despite reports he would do so.
"The accountability court issued bailable warrants for the former prime minister in two cases of alleged corruption today and adjourned (the) hearing until November 3," one of his defense lawyers, Zafir Khan told AFP.
In late July the Supreme Court sacked Sharif following an investigation into corruption allegations against his family, making him the 15th premier in Pakistan's 70-year history to be ousted before completing a full term.
The claims against the prime minister stemmed from the Panama Papers leak last year, which sparked a media frenzy over the luxurious lifestyles and high-end London property portfolio owned by his family.
Sharif's eponymous ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has doggedly stuck behind their leader, but as the legal pressure builds cracks are beginning to appear in their unity ahead of general elections due to be held sometime next year.
Federal Minister for InterProvincial Coordination Riaz Pirzada became the most high profile voice of dissent to speak out publicly last week when he called for Sharif's younger brother, Punjab Provincial Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, to take over the party leadership.
"We don't object to Nawaz's leadership but we are concerned how the party will win the next elections," Pirzada said as he repeated his call this week to Pakistan's Geo News.
The Supreme Court's ruling also banned Nawaz Sharif from political office. In the days after his ouster he swiftly named a replacement, current Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, and designated Shahbaz his eventual successor.