Pakistan top court weighs dismissal of PM Sharif

Pakistan's Supreme Court yesterday finished hearing arguments on a scathing corruption report into the family wealth of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, and will begin deliberating whether to disqualify the premier.

The court is expected to make a decision in a week or two, with analysts split on whether it will dismiss Sharif outright or recommend a fresh investigation and corruption trial by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

Few expect the judges to drop the Panama Papers Case, since the Supreme Court appointed the investigatory panel that alleged the Sharif family's wealth was beyond its means. It further accused his children, including presumed heir Maryam, of signing forged documents to hide ownership of posh London flats.

Sharif has denied wrongdoing and slammed the 254-page report by the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) as biased and slanderous. He has also rejected opposition demands to stand down.

Sharif's lawyers have been arguing that the JIT overstepped its remit, and disputed its findings.

Ejaz Afzal Khan, who heads the three-judge Supreme Court panel hearing Sharif's case, yesterday announced the hearings had been concluded by saying: "Judgement reserved".

Khan did not say when the Supreme Court would announce its decision, however.

Opposition parties believe Sharif is wobbling and expect the Supreme Court to deliver a knockout blow to his premiership by employing a little-used constitutional provision to dismiss a sitting official.

"From our legal perspective it's crystal clear: he can't survive this," said Shafqat Mahmood, a lawmaker with the opposition PTI party.

Sharif's allies interpret the court's decision not to summon him as indicating that it will order a NAB investigation.

Meanwhile, a US official said yesterday the Pentagon will not make the remaining military reimbursements to Pakistan for fiscal year 2016 after US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis told Congress Islamabad had not taken sufficient action against the Haqqani network.