Supreme Court refuses to open volume 10 of Panama JIT report

• SC moved for orders to govt on seeking guidance from court on army, secrets laws,

ISLAMABAD– The Supreme Court on Tuesday disposed of the application of the Broadsheet Company regarding the opening of Volume 10 of the Panama JIT report on the basis of withdrawal.

A three-member bench headed by the chief justice heard the Broadsheet Company’s application regarding access to Volume 10 of the Panama JIT.

Broadsheet Company’s lawyer Latif Khosa argued what was there in the Panama JIT Volume 10 to keep it a secret? Under Article 19A, the people have the right to see how the country has been looted, he held.

Justice Athar Minullah said that the five-member bench of the Supreme Court did not give any observation about Volume 10 in the Panama judgment.

“We will not go to this side because the elected prime minister of the country was removed in the Panama case, you wanted Volume 10 to proceed in the arbitration court. The matter has been settled there and now your application has become ineffective,” the justice said.

The additional attorney general said the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has paid 28 million dollars to the broadsheet.

Addressing Khosa, Justice Athar said, “Do you want the Panama verdict to be reconsidered?” Lawyer Latif Khosa said, “I don’t want to go into the Panama judgment.”

Khosa is a broadsheet representative, not a representative of the people of Pakistan, Justice Athar reiterated.

Justice Athar Manullah told Khosa instead of talking about politics, be limited to legal points, you have come here to represent the broadsheet company and not the people of Pakistan.

“So it would be better if you did not speak on behalf of the people of Pakistan. The Supreme Court also mentioned the Panama JIT Volume 10 in its judgment or do you want to say that the five-member Panama Bench of the Supreme Court favoured someone,” the judge added.

Khosa said he just wanted the facts to come before the public.

Khosa said the best minds were present in the Supreme Court, whose responsibility is to run the country according to the constitution.

Later, the SC disposed of the broadsheet company’s request to open Volume 10 of the Panama JIT report on the basis of withdrawal.

Earlier,

The issue of the president allegedly returning the Army Act and Official Secrets Act amendment bills has reached the Supreme Court.

A local lawyer has filed a petition wherein the federal government has been requested to approach the Supreme Court within 10 days for guidance and implementation of the laws suspended till a decision on the application.

The petition was filed by Advocate Zulfiqar Bhutta.

It said that the president has claimed he did not approve the amendment bills. He added that after the president’s statement, a crisis-like situation has arisen in the country.

It is likely that legal proceedings will not be able to sustain under the amendment laws, the petition states.

It further says that the suspects nominated in the Official Secrets and Army amendment acts may be acquitted.

Such suspicious legislation is contrary to Article 4 of the Constitution, according to the petition.

It sought a direction for the federal government to seek instructions from the Supreme Court within 10 days on the issue.

It also requested to suspend the execution of both the amendment laws till a decision on the plea.