The Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) on Saturday asked Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to resign within a week or face a lawyers' movement. LHCBA President Zulfiqar Chaudhry, Vice President Rashid Lodhi, Secretary Amir Saeed and Finance Secretary Zaheer Butt addressed a press conference on Saturday and said the movement would be bigger than the one that followed ex-chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry's ouster in 2007.
The demand came in the light of the Supreme Court ruling on the Panama Papers case directing for constitution of a joint investigation team (JIT) to look into the alleged corruption of the prime minister and his sons. The Bar President said: "Throughout the world, public office-holders implicated in the Panama scandal have relinquished their posts, but Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is adamant to stay in power."
He said the Bar Association's demand for PM's resignation was legitimate and fair. "How can officers under the PM conduct a fair investigation into the PM's alleged corruption?" questioned Chaudhry. Vice President of the Bar Rashid Lodhi said: "This is the first time such a high-profile case of corruption went up to the Supreme Court and some pertinent questions were raised by the court regarding the PM's money-trial." He said Nawaz Sharif has lost the moral authority to stay in power as the apex court has rejected his claims.
NNI adds: Following the demand of resignation of the prime minister made by the opposition political parties in wake of the Supreme Court's Panamagate judgement, the Supreme Court Bar has also urged Nawaz Sharif to step down.
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