The Supreme Court on Friday disqualified Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif from holding public office in a landmark decision on the Panama Papers case.

Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan, who had headed the apex court's implementation bench following its April 20 order on the Panama Papers case, announced that the larger bench had unanimously deemed PM Sharif unfit for holding office and would also order an accountability court to open references against him and his family, and other respondents.

Shortly after the order, the PM House issued a notification saying that Nawaz Sharif, despite having "strong reservations" on the SC’s verdict, has stepped down from his post as the premier.

Reacting to the court's order, a PML-N spokesperson said that the party will utilise all legal and constitutional means to contest the verdict.

The judgement, announced shortly after 12pm, brings Sharif's third term in power to an unceremonious end, roughly one year before the scheduled general elections which would have seen him become the first Pakistani prime minister to complete a full five-year term. It is unclear at the moment who will be appointed to take over the post till the next general elections, which are scheduled for 2018.

Govt in limbo

The federal cabinet was dissolved after Nawaz Sharif relinquished his responsibilities as the prime minister of Pakistan.

As the head of the ruling PML-N, he will still be able to nominate his successor.

Sharif's chosen candidate will be put to a vote in the National Assembly — a rubber stamp affair as the PML-N holds a strong majority in the house.

His daughter, Maryam Nawaz, has frequently been touted as his political heir, but she does not currently hold elected office so cannot be a candidate this time around.

'Disqualified for being dishonest'

"The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) shall issue a notification disqualifying Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif from being a member of the Parliament with immediate effect, after which he shall cease to be the Prime Minister of Pakistan,” Justice Khan told the packed courtroom Friday afternoon.

The judges ruled that Nawaz had been dishonest to the parliament and the courts in not disclosing his employment in the Dubai-based Capital FZE company in his 2013 nomination papers, and thus, could not be deemed fit for his office.

"It is hereby declared that having failed to disclose his un-withdrawn receivables constituting assets from Capital FZE Jebel Ali, UAE in his nomination papers filed for the General Elections held in 2013 in terms of Section 12(2)(f) of the Representation of the People Act, 1976 (ROPA), and having furnished a false declaration under solemn affirmation respondent No. 1 Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif is not honest in terms of Section 99(f) of ROPA and Article 62(1)(f) of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973 and therefore he is disqualified to be a Member of the Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament)."

Read the Supreme Court's complete order in Panama Papers case

References in accountability courts

Justice Khan said that the bench had recommended that all material collected by the joint investigation team (JIT) tasked with probing the Sharif family's financial dealings be sent to an accountability court within six weeks.

The bench said that on the basis of this information, cases would be opened against Finance Minister Ishaq Dar; MNA Captain Muhammad Safdar; Maryam, Hassan and Hussain Nawaz; as well as the premier.

A judgement on these references should be announced within six months, he said. One judge will oversee the implementation of this order.

The references to be filed by NAB before the accountability court include:

References against Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz Sharif, Hussain Nawaz Sharif, Hassan Nawaz Sharif, and Capt Muhammad Safdar relating to the Avenfield properties in London, United Kingdom.

Reference against Nawaz Sharif, and Hussain and Hassan Nawaz regarding Azizia Steel Company and Hill Metal Establishment, along with other companies mentioned in paragraph 9 of the detailed judgement.

Reference against Ishaq Dar for possessing assets and funds beyond his known means of income.

Supplementary reference(s) if and when any other asset, which is not prima facie reasonably accounted for, is discovered.

A reference against him will also be opened for possessing assets and funds beyond his known sources of income.

Court appreciates JIT's efforts

The judges "commended and appreciated" the hard work and efforts made by members of the JIT in preparing and filing a comprehensive and detailed report.

"Their tenure of service shall be safeguarded and protected and no adverse action of any nature including transfer and posting shall be taken against them without informing the monitoring Judge of this Court nominated by the Honourable Chief Justice of Pakistan," reads the court order.

The lead up

The original five-member bench of the Supreme Court which heard the Panama Papers case — comprising Justices Asif Saeed Khosa, Ejaz Afzal Khan, Gulzar Ahmed, Sheikh Azmat Saeed, Ijazul Ahsan — announced the much-awaited verdict in Courtroom No. 1 shortly after 12pm.

According to media reports, the courtroom was filled to capacity as prominent politicians, lawyers and journalists crowded the room to hear the judges decide Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's fate.

The twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi were on high alert in anticipation of the SC verdict while the Red Zone was partially sealed.

Paramilitary soldiers and policemen cordon off the main entrance of the Supreme Court building.— AFP

Rangers and Frontier Constabulary personnel were deployed at the Supreme Court and the Red Zone to assist the police.

April 20 order and JIT investigation

The April 20 judgement issued by the larger bench in the Panama Papers case had been split 3-2 among the five judges, with two dissenting notes from Justice Asif Saeed Khosa and Justice Gulzar Ahmed. Justice Ejaz Afzal authored the majority opinion in the 540-page judgement.

The two judges who ruled against PM Nawaz Sharif had said he should be disqualified as he could not be considered 'honest' and 'truthful' (ameen and sadiq), whereas the other three were in favour of forming a joint investigation team (JIT) to definitively answer the question of whether the allegations against the prime minister were true or not.

The court had further said that: "upon receipt of the reports, periodic or final of the JIT, as the case may be, the matter of disqualification of respondent No. 1 [Nawaz Sharif] shall be considered. If found necessary for passing an appropriate order in this behalf, [Nawaz Sharif or any other person may be summoned and examined."

A special bench of the Supreme Court was subsequently constituted to examine the case under Section 184/3 of the Constitution. The bench comprised the three judges who had prevailed.

The Supreme Court had on May 6 formed the JIT, putting a senior officer of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in charge.

After considering the background and antecedents of the officer, FIA’s Additional Director General Wajid Zia, a grade 21 officer, was appointed head of the probe team.

Amer Aziz of the State Bank of Pakistan, Executive Director of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan Bilal Rasool, National Accountability Bureau Director Irfan Naeem Mangi, Brig Muha­mmad Nauman Saeed of Inter-Services Intelligence and Brig Kamran Khurshid of the Military Intelligence were appointed as the remaining members of the team.

The six-member JIT's damning report, submitted after a 60-day investigation that sought answers to 13 questions raised by the Supreme Court's larger bench, had maintained that Prime Minister’s family owned assets beyond its known sources of income. It declared that both Hussain and Hassan Nawaz were used as proxies to build family assets.

Consequently, the six-man JIT concluded that it was compelled to refer to sections 9(a)(v) and 14(c) of the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO) 1999, which deal with corruption and corrupt practices, though such charges are yet to be proven in an accountability court.

The JIT report also highlighted Articles 122, 117, 129 and other sections of the Qanoon-i-Shahadat Order 1984 (Law of Evidence), which places the burden of disproving the allegations on the person facing accusations.

The JIT pointed out failure on the part of the Sharifs to produce the required information that would confirm their “known sources of income”, saying that prima facie, it amounted to saying that they were not able to reconcile their assets with their means of income.

The prime minister's daughter, Maryam Nawaz, had on the same evening issued a strongly-worded statement on behalf of the PML-N, saying:

"JIT report REJECTED. Every contradiction will not only be contested but decimated in SC. NOT a penny of public exchequer involved: PMLN."

Her tweet followed a press conference conducted by four senior PML-N leaders, who had taken turns to criticise the JIT report as 'serving Imran Khan's agenda'.

The Sharif family's legal team's strategy in subsequent hearings had focused on discrediting the report, the evidence collected and the means used to do so, and raising questions about the impartiality and capability of the six men who had comprised the JIT.

— Additional reporting by Naveed Siddiqui and Javed Hussain

Correction: This story has been amended to reflect that Ishaq Dar and Capt Muhammad Safdar have not been disqualified from their membership of the National Assembly; rather the Supreme Court has only ordered separate references to be opened against both. The error is regretted.</s>Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Pakistan's Supreme Court recommended an anti-corruption case against Mr Sharif

Nawaz Sharif has resigned as prime minister of Pakistan following a decision by the country's Supreme Court to disqualify him from office.

The ruling came after a probe into his family's wealth following the 2016 Panama Papers dump linking Mr Sharif's children to offshore companies.

Mr Sharif has consistently denied any wrongdoing in the case.

The five judges reached a unanimous verdict in the Islamabad court, which was filled to capacity.

"Following the verdict, Nawaz Sharif has divested himself of his responsibility as prime minister," a spokesman for Mr Sharif's office said in a statement. However, it said he had "serious reservations" about the judicial process.

There was heightened security in the capital, with tens of thousands of troops and police deployed.

The court's ruling stated that Mr Sharif had been dishonest in not disclosing his earnings from a Dubai-based company in his nomination papers during the 2013 general election.

One of the judges, Ejaz Afzal Khan, said that Mr Sharif was no longer "eligible to be an honest member of the parliament".

Pakistan's Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan earlier advised Mr Sharif to accept Friday's verdict.

The court has recommended anti-corruption cases against several individuals, including Mr Sharif, his daughter Maryam and her husband Safdar, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and others.

Opening the gates of power?

By M Ilyas Khan, BBC News, Islamabad

Pakistan has repeated history. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is resigning. He was the 18th prime minister of Pakistan. Not a single one of the 17 prime ministers that preceded him have completed their full term in office.

Many believe that the Supreme Court has started a process of cracking down on corruption, which augurs well for democracy. Others see this as part of a long history of political manipulation through which the country's powerful military establishment has sought to control civilian decision-making.

The case hearings - spread over nearly 15 months - have been marred by controversy. The case belongs in a criminal court. The Supreme Court, which is an appellate body, initially refused to hear it. But then it not only admitted the petition for hearing, it also took the unusual step of instituting its own investigation into the case, with a dominant role for military intelligence services.

Many believe that while across-the-board action against corruption may remain a pipe dream, this verdict will open the gates of power for a new set of politicians - as has often happened in the past.

Mr Sharif, who was serving as prime minister for a record third time, was less than a year away from becoming the first in Pakistani history to complete a full term in office.

He served as prime minister from November 1990 to July 1993 and from February 1997 until he was toppled in a bloodless coup in October 1999.

Image copyright Reuters Image caption Opposition supporters erupted in applause as the verdict was announced

Image copyright EPA Image caption Head of the Jamaat-e-Islami group, Siraj ul Haq (left), shares sweets with opposition supporters

Allegations of corruption have dogged Mr Sharif since the 1980s. And much of what the Panama Papers revealed was the subject of a federal inquiry in the mid-1990s.

What happens next?

It is not immediately clear who will succeed Mr Sharif, but his brother Shehbaz, who is chief minister of Punjab province, is seen as a strong contender for the job.

Pakistan's ruling party, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), will be permitted by the speaker of the National Assembly to select an interim prime minister to rule until the 2018 general election.

The PML-N, which has the most seats in parliament, is expected to deliver a statement later on Friday.

Opposition parties will also have the opportunity to put forward their own candidates for the position.

Meanwhile, the court has directed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), the main anti-corruption body, to compile and send four references to accountability courts against Mr Sharif and others.

The NAB has been directed to file these references within six weeks. The accountability courts have been directed to complete hearings in these cases in six months.

What did the Panama Papers reveal?

The leaks in April 2016 revealed that three of Mr Sharif's children owned offshore companies and assets not shown on his family's wealth statement.

The companies were allegedly used to channel funds to acquire foreign assets, including some apartments along Park Lane in London's Mayfair area.

Despite documents from the Panama Papers suggesting that the beneficial owner of the luxury central London flats was Mr Sharif's daughter Maryam, she later claimed that she was only a trustee - and that it was her brother who was the beneficial owner.

To prove her point, Maryam Nawaz produced a trust deed signed by both her and her brother dated February 2006.

But a British forensic expert later said the document was "fake" or had been "falsified" because it was typed in the Calibri font, which was not commercially available until 2007.

The insinuation that the offshore companies were meant to hide or launder ill-gotten wealth or to avoid taxes called Mr Sharif's credentials into question.

What is the mood in Pakistan?

Local media on Friday showed crowds assembled outside the Supreme Court in Islamabad cheering the court's verdict.

As the verdict was announced, opposition supporters erupted in applause, rushing into the street chanting slogans and handing out sweets, according to reports.

The vice-chairman of the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) party, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, called it an "historic day" and praised the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) for "not succumbing to the enormous pressure and serving the cause of justice."

The verdict was announced amid heightened security in the capital, with about 3,000 armed police and members of the Pakistan Rangers paramilitary force deployed near and around the Supreme Court.

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption There was a large security presence outside Pakistan's Supreme Court ahead of the ruling

The ruling represents the peak of a drama that has fuelled news coverage and social media debates for months, attracting both scorn and ridicule as well as trenchant support for the prime minister.

The divisions fall largely along party lines but amid the febrile accusations, many have also expressed concerns over Pakistan's political culture.

The Wikipedia profile of the prime minister has also been littered with obscenities and accusations.

Mr Sharif is not the first prime minister to lose his position following the leaking of documents from the Panamanian law firm.

Iceland's prime minister was forced to resign after documents appeared to reveal that he and his wife concealed millions of dollars' worth of investments in an offshore company.</s>Prime Minister of Pakistan third term in power ended unceremoniously Friday (July 28) after the Supreme Court disqualified him from holding public office in a landmark unanimous decision on the so-called Panama Papers case.

"The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) shall issue a notification disqualifying Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif from being a member of the Parliament with immediate effect, after which he shall cease to be the Prime Minister of Pakistan," Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan told the packed courtroom Friday afternoon.

The prime minister was disqualified from holding his office as the judges ruled that he had been dishonest to parliament and the courts and could not be deemed fit for his office.

Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and son-in-law of Nawaz Sharif, Captain Safdar, who is a member of parliament, were also declared unfit for office. Dar was disqualified for being unable to explain his ownership of assets beyond his means.

The judges ruled that Nawaz had been dishonest to the parliament and the courts in not disclosing his employment in the Dubai-based Capital FZE company in his 2013 nomination papers, and, thus, could not be deemed fit for his office.

"It is hereby declared that having failed to disclose his un-withdrawn receivables constituting assets from Capital FZE Jebel Ali, UAE in his nomination papers filed for the General Elections held in 2013 in terms of Section 12(2)(f) of the Representation of the People Act, 1976 (ROPA), and having furnished a false declaration under solemn affirmation respondent No. 1 Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif is not honest in terms of Section 99(f) of ROPA and Article 62(1)(f) of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973, and therefore he is disqualified to be a Member of the Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament)."

Tellingly, Nawaz Sharif has been ousted on graft charges once before, sacked by the country's then-president during the first of his three terms as prime minister in 1993.

Shortly after the Supreme Court Order, the PM House issued a notification saying that Nawaz Sharif, despite having "strong reservations" on the SC's verdict, has stepped down from his post as the premier.

Reacting to the court's order, a Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz spokesperson said that the party will utilize all legal and constitutional means to contest the verdict.

The federal cabinet was dissolved after Nawaz Sharif relinquished his responsibilities as the prime minister of Pakistan.

As the head of the ruling PML-N, he will still be able to nominate his successor. Sharif's chosen candidate will be put to a vote in the National Assembly -- a rubber-stamp affair as the PML-N holds a strong majority in the house.

On April 20 the Supreme Court appointed a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to probe the case and collect evidence, if any, showing that Nawaz Sharif or any of his dependents or benamidar owns, possesses or acquired assets or any interest therein disproportionate to their known means of income.

The six-member JIT's damning report, submitted after a 60-day investigation that sought answers to 13 questions raised by the Supreme Court's larger bench, had maintained that Prime Minister's family owned assets beyond its known sources of income. It declared that his sons, Hussain and Hassan Nawaz, were used as proxies to build family assets.

Consequently, the six-man JIT concluded that it was compelled to refer to sections 9(a)(v) and 14(c) of the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO) 1999, which deal with corruption and corrupt practices, though such charges are yet to be proven in an accountability court.</s>Supreme Court ruling follows months of hearings over Nawaz Sharif's alleged corruption revealed in 'Panama Papers' leak.

Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has stepped down after the Supreme Court disqualified him from office as leader of the country's government.

Friday's landmark ruling comes after months of hearings in a case instigated by the "Panama Papers" leaks, related to alleged corruption during his previous two terms in office.

The five-member bench of the Supreme Court announced the verdict to a packed courtroom in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad.

Sharif's removal on the grounds that he lied about his assets during a corruption probe means that his ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party, which holds a comfortable majority in parliament, will have to nominate a new leader.

According to a statement from the prime minister's office, Sharif stood down from his post in accordance with the Supreme Court ruling.

"All legal and constitutional options will be exercised regarding our serious differences with this verdict, the statement read.

The 67-year-old becomes the latest Pakistani prime minister not to have completed a five-year term in office, many having been overthrown in coups by the country's powerful military, which has ruled the country for roughly half of its 69-year-history.

Sharif and three of his children have been referred to a National Accountability court, which has been ordered to register corruption cases against them within six weeks, the judges said.

The court also referred Ishaq Dar, the finance minister, who has served as Sharif's accountant in the past, to the corruption court, along with other associates of Sharif.

Mariyam Aurangzeb, Sharif's information minister, said the government was "saddened" but "not surprised" by Friday's ruling.

PML-N would consult legal experts before deciding on a course of action, she told reporters, adding that the verdict did not offer any proof of government corruption.

"I want to speak directly to Pakistan's public ... not a single paisa [the smallest unit of Pakistani currency] of government corruption has been established even by this verdict," she said.

Meanwhile, the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has announced plans to celebrate the verdict with a rally on Sunday.

Imran Khan, the PTI leader who championed the case against Sharif, described Friday's ruling as a triumph for democracy.

"What we have seen today, if anything could strengthen Pakistan's democracy, then this is it. In a democracy, a leadership must be accountable," the cricketer turned politician said. "Our democratic evolution has moved forward."

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, leader of the opposition Pakistan People's Party, said the PPP will field a candidate for prime minister against the government's nominee after consultation with other opposition parties.

"We hope that the verdict will help in deterring corruption in high places," he said.

"The Pakistan People's Party fully intends to field its own candidate for the post of prime minister of Pakistan."

Speaking before the verdict, Siraj-ul-Haq, leader of the opposition Jamaat-e-Islami party and one of the plaintiffs in the case, said he hoped the decision would help strengthen the rule of law.

"True accountability is necessary for true democracy," he said outside the courtroom. "The law seems to not have been applied to the rich, but only to the poor."

The allegations against Sharif centred around the ownership of four apartments in London's posh Park Lane neighbourhood.

In 2016, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists leaked 11.5 million documents from Panama-based law firm Mossack Fonseca, dubbed the Panama Papers.

Several documents included in the leak showed three of Sharif's children - Hussain, Hasan and Maryam - owned at least three off-shore companies registered in the British Virgin Islands.

The documents showed that these companies had engaged in deals worth $25m.

Crucially, one of the documents also revealed that the companies had been involved in a $13.2m mortgage involving the London properties as collateral, the first time the Sharif family's ownership of the apartments was proven on paper.

In November, after months of political turmoil, the Supreme Court launched hearings to establish whether the Sharif family had committed wrongdoing in obtaining the properties, or if the prime minister was liable for not declaring them earlier on tax and parliamentary wealth declarations.

Sharif denied the allegations against him, saying the assets were legally held by his children and were not in his name, and therefore he was not liable to declare them or be taxed on them.

The court demanded that the Sharif family establish a clear money trail showing how they came to own the properties.

According to the Sharifs, the money was obtained from the sale of a steel mill in the United Arab Emirates and was further invested with Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber al Thani, former prime minister of the Qatar.

Not satisfied with the explanation, the court in April constituted a high-level team to investigate the Sharifs.

The investigators found that Sharif had for years been the chairman of the board of Capital FZE, a company based in the UAE, without declaring his position.

The court's decision to remove Sharif was based on him not revealing his stake in the company in parliamentary wealth disclosures.

No democratically elected prime minister in Pakistan's history has completed a full five-year term.

Sharif's first two stints in power in the 1990s were both cut short; he was unseated in a military coup by General Pervez Musharraf in 1999.

Other prime ministers have been overthrown in two previous coups in 1958 and 1977, by the courts or by motions of no-confidence within the parliament.</s>The Supreme Court of Pakistan has disqualified the country’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif over corruption charges.

The decision regarding the disqualification of Sharif as Pakistan’s Premier was announced today after he was found guilty of involvement in corruption.

According to the local media reports, Sharif was found guilty of the involvement in corruption cases, specifically the millions of dollars of business being operated by his children.

The verdict was apparently issued after investigations revealed that businesses worth millions of dollars belong to the three children of Sharif, including his two sons and his daughter Maryam Sharif.

The Office of the President of Pakistan in a statement confirmed that the premier has stepped down from his post.

The statement stated that Mr. Sharif has stepped down following the verdict of the court despite he has ‘strong reservations’ on the verdict of the Supreme Court.

A spokesperson for Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) has said that the party will utilise all legal and constitutional means to contest the verdict.

The court reportedly reviewed the corruption allegations against Sharif based on the demands of political leader Imran Khan regarding the Panama Leaks documents.

Follow Khaama Press (KP) | Afghan News Agency on Twitter, become a fan on Facebook. Stay updated via RSS</s>ISLAMABAD, July 28 (APP): Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif

 was disqualified Friday by the Supreme Court in a unanimous verdict, following a judicial probe under Article 62 of the Constitution.

 “Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif is not honest in terms of

 Section 99(f) of Representation of Peoples Act and Article

 62(1)(f) of the Constitution of Pakistan and therefore he is

 disqualified to be a member of the Majlis-e-Shoora,” the

 decision of the five-member bench said about Nawaz Sharif, who still

 had almost a year in power.

 The court in its final verdict termed Nawaz Sharif’s

 failure to disclose his “un-withdrawn receivables constituting

 assets from Capital FZE Jebel Ali, UAE” in the general

 election of 2013 – the major reason for his disqualification.

 “The President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is required to

 take all necessary steps under the Constitution to

 ensure continuation of the democratic process,” the order added.

 The five-member larger bench headed by Justice Asif Saeed Khan Khosa

 and comprising Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan, Justice Gulzar Ahmad, Justice

 Shiekh Azmat Saeed and Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan unanimously disqualified

 the prime minister.

 The bench had earlier ordered formation of a joint

 investigation team (JIT) after a trial, on a number of

 petitions that sought answers to questions raised by a trove of secret documents unearthed by an International Consortium of

 Journalists that exposed how politicians, bureaucrats and

 businessmen had stashed away billions of dollars of their

 wealth, ostensibly to save tax in the safe havens of Panama.

 The PTI filed its petition on August 29, 2016 seeking the

 prime minister’s disqualification, which along with others of

 Sheikh Rashid Ahmed of Awami Tehreek and Jamat-e-Islami,

 was accepted by the court in October.

 The six-member JIT headed by an additional director of the

 Federal Investigation Agency and members from Securities and

 Exchange Commission, State Bank of Pakistan, National Accountability

 Bureau, Military Intelligence and Inter Services Intelligence, in a

 60-day probe submitted the ten-volume report.

 Announcing the verdict, Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan said the judgment

 was in continuation of judgments dated 20-04-2017 in constitution

 petitions No 29, 30 of 2016 and constitution petition No 03 of 2017,

 which ended up in the following order of the court:

 “By a majority of 3 to 2 (Asif Saeed Khan Khosa and Gulzar Ahmed,

 JJ) dissenting, who have given separate declarations and directions, we

 hold that the questions how did Gulf Steel Mill come into being; what

 led to its sale; what happened to its liabilities; where did its sale proceeds end up; how did they reach Jeddah, Qatar and the UK; whether respondents No 7 and 8 in view of their tender ages had the means in

 the early nineties to possess and purchase the flats; whether sudden appearance of the letters of Hamad Bin Jassim Bin Jaber Al-Thani

 is a myth or a reality; how bearer shares crystallized into the flats;

 who, in fact, is the real and beneficial owner of M/s Nielsen

 Enterprises Limited and Nescoll Limited, how did Hill Metal

 Establishment come into existence; where did the money for Flagship Investment Limited and other companies set up/taken over by respondent

 No 8 come from, and where did the working capital for such companies

 come from and where do the huge sums running into millions gifted by respondent No 7 to respondent No 1 drop in from, which go to the heart

 of the matter and need to be answered. Therefore, a thorough

 investigation in this behalf is required.”

 The court directed the Election Commission of Pakistan to issue a

 notification disqualifying Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif from being a

 Member of the Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament) with immediate effect,

 whereafter he shall cease to be the Prime Minister of Pakistan.

 The court stated that the National Accountability Bureau

 (NAB) shall within six weeks from the date of this judgment prepare

 and file before the Accountability Court,

 Rawalpindi/Islamabad, the following References, on the basis of

 the material collected and referred to by the Joint Investigating

 Team (JIT) in its report and such other material as may be

 available with the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and NAB

 having any nexus with assets mentioned below or which

 may subsequently become available including material that may come

 before it pursuant to the Mutual Legal Assistance requests sent by

 the JIT to different jurisdictions:-

 a) Reference against Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif,

 (respondents No. 1), Maryam Nawaz Sharif (Maryam Safdar),

 (Respondent No. 6), Hussain Nawaz Sharif (Respondent No. 7),

 Hassan Nawaz Sharif (Respondent No. 8) and Capt. (Retd).

 Muhammad Safdar (Respondent No. 9) relating to the

 Avenfield properties (Flats No. 16, 16-A, 17 and 17-A Avenfield

 House, Park Lane, London, United Kingdom). In preparing and

 filing this Reference, the NAB shall also consider the

 material already collected during the course of

 investigations conducted earlier, as indicated in the detailed

 judgments;

 b) Reference against respondents No. 1, 7 and 8

 regarding Azizia Steel Company and Hill Metal Establishment, as

 indicated in the main judgment;

 c) Reference against respondents No. 1, 7 and 8

 regarding the Companies including Flagship Investments

 Limited, Hartstone Properties Limited, Que Holdings Limited,

 Quint Eaton Place 2 Limited, Quint Saloane Limited (formerly

 Quint Eaton Place Limited), Quaint Limited, Flagship

 Securities Limited, Quint Gloucester Place Limited, Quint

 Paddington Limited (formerly Rivates Estates Limited),

 Flagship Developments Limited, Alanna Services Limited (BVI),

 Lankin SA (BVI), Chadron Inc, Ansbacher Inc, Coomber Inc; and

 Capital FZE (Dubai).

 d) Reference against Ishaq Dar (respondent No. 10)

 for possessing assets and funds beyond his known sources of

 income, as discussed in the judgment unanimous rendered by

 Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan, Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed and Justice

 Ijaz ul Ahsan;

 e) NAB shall also include in the proceedings all

 other persons including Sheikh Saeed, Musa Ghani, Kashif Masood

 Qazi, Javaid Kiyani and Saeed Ahmed, who have any direct or

 indirect nexus or connection with the actions of respondents No.

 1, 6, 7, 8 and 10 leading to acquisition of assets and funds beyond

 their known sources of income;

 f) NAB may file supplementary Reference(s) if and when

 any other asset, which is not prima facie reasonably accounted

 for, is discovered;

 g) The Accountability Court shall proceed with and

 decide the references within a period of six months from the date

 of filing such References; and

 h) In case the Accountability Court finds any deed,

 document or affidavit filed by or on behalf of the respondent(s)

 or any other person(s) to be fake, false, forged or fabricated,

 it shall take appropriate action against the concerned person

 in accordance with law.

 The bench requested the chief justice to nominate a judge

 of this court to supervise and monitor implementation of this

 judgment in letter and spirit and oversee the proceedings conducted

 by NAB and the Accountability Court in these matters.

 The court commends and appreciates the hard work and efforts

 made by Members of the JIT and their support and ancillary staff in preparing and filing a comprehensive and detailed report as per

 our orders. Their tenure of service shall be safeguarded and

 protected and no adverse action of any nature including transfer

 and posting shall be taken against them without informing

 the monitoring Judge of this Court nominated by the chief justice.</s>The record remains intact: No elected prime minister in Pakistan’s history has managed to serve a full five-year term. Not even Nawaz Sharif, who was out trying his luck for the third time.

On his first attempt, he was pushed out of power in 1993 by the country’s powerful military after running afoul of then president Ghulam Ishaq Khan.

On his second attempt, Sharif was ousted in 1999 in a bloodless military coup orchestrated by General Pervez Musharraf who went on to rule the country for nearly a decade.

A little past noon on July 28, Sharif’s third attempt, too, ended abruptly, as Pakistan’s supreme court ordered the 67-year-old politician’s dismissal from the prime minister’s office. The verdict came after Sharif and his family were probed on corruption charges triggered by the revelations in the Panama Papers, a collection of around 11.5 million documents held by law firm Mossack Fonseca that was released in 2016.

Sharif put in his papers shortly after. “Following the verdict, Nawaz Sharif has resigned from his responsibilities as prime minister,” a spokesman said in statement, BBC News reported.

One of the largest-ever data leaks, the Panama Papers exposed the offshore holdings of 140 politicians and public officials across the world, including those of Iceland’s prime minister Sigmundur Gunnlaugsson who was forced to step down. The leaks also contained details of assets and companies held by Sharif and his family, which hadn’t been disclosed earlier. The revelations, especially around prime real estate owned by the family in London, set off a political firestorm in Pakistan, with opposition parties threatening massive protests unless the matter was investigated properly.

Eventually, last November, the supreme court stepped in and spent the next few months hearing arguments from both sides. In its 540-page verdict in April 2017, the court outlined that it wasn’t satisfied with the Sharif family’s defence. In May, a six-member joint investigation team (JIT) appointed by the supreme court began scrutinising the documents and questioned key individuals, including Sharif, before submitting its report earlier this month.

The prime minister denied any wrongdoing—in fact, his family called the JIT “a farce and an eyewash”—but a five-judge bench of Pakistan’s top court thought otherwise. It said Sharif had been dishonest to both parliament and the judiciary. “He is no more eligible to be an honest member of the parliament, and he ceases to be holding the office of prime minister,” judge Ejaz Afzal Khan was reported by Reuters as saying.

Pakistan’s election commission will now have to “de-notify” Sharif from his parliamentary seat, according to the Dawn newspaper, while the ruling Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) party finds a replacement to take over as prime minister. General elections are not scheduled till the middle of next year. “Whoever they bring will be a weak prime minister, as Nawaz Sharif would want to have someone who is more or less in line with his thinking,” Hasan Askari Rizvi, a Lahore-based political analyst, told The New York Times.

The political instability stemming from this verdict is unlikely to be good news for Pakistan’s economy, which had made some progress in the last three years under Sharif’s watch. There will also be some anxiety in the neighbourhood, particularly in India, as a weakened civilian leadership will strengthen the already powerful army’s grip over Pakistan.</s>Pakistan's Prime Minister Resigns After Court Disqualifies Him From Office

Pakistan's prime minister is out of a job. That country's Supreme Court has ordered Nawaz Sharif to leave his office following accusations of corruption. Last year, the so-called Panama Papers dump revealed that Sharif's children own expensive properties in London, and that led to an investigation into his family. Today the Supreme Court also ordered a separate trial to look at the finances of Sharif and his adult children, one of whom was being groomed as his successor. For more, we are joined now by NPR's Diaa Hadid reporting from Islamabad. Diaa, corruption is a broad word. What exactly has Sharif done to provoke the Supreme Court to make what is really a very extraordinary move?

DIAA HADID, BYLINE: The court just simply believes that Sharif and his family couldn't directly and clearly answer how they came into so much money. It wasn't just these - sorry. It wasn't just these expensive apartments in London that were mentioned in the Panama Papers that seemed to be owned through offshore companies that were directed back to his children. But it was about other businesses as well.

It was this dense tangle of businesses and money and consistently, whenever the judges had asked questions to Sharif's lawyers in the court, the lawyers would answer on procedural grounds that the court had no right to ask this question, that it had gone out of its mandate. And finally, after five days of hearings, the judges came back and said, we don't think you're honest. And that's a prerogative that the court has in Pakistan.

MARTIN: They do. So the court - even though Nawaz Sharif hasn't been charged with a crime - right? But the court can just say, we don't believe you're fit for office?

HADID: Exactly, exactly. It's a controversial power that the court has. But it's certainly one that they've used in the past. The last prime minister was also dismissed for contempt of court. But this case goes a lot further than that because it's seen as upturning this political dynasty that is so strong in Pakistan. The Sharifs are one of the richest families. It's - Sharif has, you know - used to run the federal government. He had a lot of power. He held several ministries, not just being the prime minister.

And so this is why people in this country really look at this decision. And whether they're for it or against it, they're somewhat stumped by the immense power the Supreme Court has really exercised in this case.

MARTIN: What's it like to be in Islamabad right now?

HADID: It's pretty exciting. There was a cordon - the Supreme Court was cordoned off. There was just hundreds of police and security forces everywhere trying to keep people out. There's dozens of security - sorry - satellite trucks just broadcasting live from the Supreme Court. And now as we watch Pakistan TV, we can see protests popping up all over the country in support of Nawaz and against Nawaz. There were men who were dancing in the streets. And we're expecting...

HADID: The politically opposition, clearly. (Laughter) That's right. And we're expecting to see other demonstrations in support of Nawaz as the day rolls on.

MARTIN: So what now? I mean, how - who's going to be the next prime minister? How does that person come to office?

MARTIN: Is there an election?

HADID: No. So it will be decided by the party itself. And they have accepted the court's decision - you know, with reservations. But they have accepted it. And so now they have to decide who will be next.

And this actually is a problem for Sharif's party because the person who was seen as inheriting Sharif's position was his daughter. But now she also will be going to trial, and she's facing her own corruption charges. And so there is a bit of chaos within the party itself over who will now step forward, who can step forward and take the reins.

MARTIN: It might be a total outsider?

HADID: There's a few centers of power within this party. It's a big party. It's a storied party. And for a while, the tussle was between the interior minister and the defense minister, who is seen as a Sharif loyalist. But the party is clear that Nawaz Sharif will still be the head of the party, even if he's not the prime minister of Pakistan.

MARTIN: NPR's Diaa Hadid reporting from Islamabad on this breaking news out of Pakistan. The Supreme Court there has ruled that the prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, should leave office over corruption allegations.

Diaa, thanks so much.</s>Pakistan’s top court disqualified the country’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif from office on Friday, with a bench of five judges unanimously ruling against him in a corruption case that has divided the South Asian nation.

The Supreme Court in Islamabad disqualified Sharif in a case connected to allegations stemming from the so-called Panama Papers — secret documents leaked from the Panama-based law firm Mossack Fonseca in 2016 that detailed the offshore financial dealings of public figures from around the world.

“He is no more eligible to be an honest member of the parliament, and he ceases to be holding the office of prime minister,” Supreme Court Judge Ejaz Afzal said in court, according to the Reuters news agency.

Sharif — who, if he had remained in office until next year’s general elections, would have been the first prime minister in Pakistan’s history to complete a full term — found himself at the center of national controversy after the Panama Papers appeared to link his children to offshore companies used to purchase flats in an upmarket London neighborhood.

The allegations ended up in court following threats of street protests by Imran Khan , the former Pakistani cricketer turned opposition politician.

Sharif and his family deny any wrongdoing.

This was Sharif’s third stint as prime minister. The country’s top court previously stepped in to dismiss former leader Yusuf Raza Gilani in 2012, following a contempt of court case.

With the ruling, Sharif’s governing Pakistan Muslim League will be forced to choose an interim prime minister, as the nation prepares for next year’s national polls.</s>ISLAMABAD (REUTERS, AFP) – Pakistan’s top court on Friday (July 28) disqualified Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif from office after a damning corruption probe into his family wealth, cutting short his third stint in power.

The Supreme Court dismissed Sharif after an investigative panel alleged his family could not account for its vast wealth.

The court also asked the national anti-corruption bureau to launch a further probe into the allegations against Sharif, which stem from the Panama Papers leak last year linking the premier’s family to lucrative offshore businesses.

“He is no more eligible to be an honest member of the parliament, and he ceases to be holding the office of prime minister,” Judge Ejaz Afzal Khan said in court.

The team of civilian and military investigators had found there was a “significant disparity” between the Sharif family’s income and lifestyle in its report, which was released to the public and submitted to the court earlier this month.

It sparked an uproar with some of its findings, including the claim that documents regarding Sharif’s daughter Maryam and her link to some of the family’s London properties were “falsified” – dated 2006, but typed in Microsoft’s Calibri font, which was not released for commercial use until 2007.

Sharif, 67, has always denied any wrongdoing and has dismissed the investigation into him as biased and inaccurate.

Sharif’s allies have alleged there was a conspiracy to unseat him.

“This is not accountability, it is revenge,” tweeted Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafiq hours before the verdict was announced. “In an effort dislodge us, the democratic system has been made a target.”

Supporters of the opposition cheered the court's decision. “Go, Nawaz, Go,” shouted supporters of the PTI opposition party who had gathered outside the court, and who jeered politicians from Sharif’s party.

“Today the people of Pakistan got real justice, a new chapter has begun,” Jehangir Khan Tareen, a member of the opposition PTI, said outside the court.

Analysts have warned that another bout of political turmoil would spook foreign investors, who are already reticent to invest in Pakistan, deterred by security fears and a tough business climate.

No Pakistani prime minister has ever completed a full five-year term.

Most have seen their tenures cut short by the powerful military or interference from the Supreme Court. Others have been ousted by their own party, forced to resign – or been assassinated.

It is the second time in Pakistan’s 70-year history that the Supreme Court has disqualified a sitting prime minister.

Sharif’s two previous stints in power were also cut short, including by a military coup in 1999, but he came back from exile to win a resounding victory in the 2013 general elections.

His ruling PML-N party, which has a majority in the parliament, is now expected to appoint a new prime minister.
The Prime Minister of Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif resigns after the Supreme Court disqualifies him from holding public office following a verdict that he had been dishonest in not disclosing his employment in the Dubai-based Capital FZE company in his nomination papers.