PTI files reference in ECP to have Nawaz Sharif declared ineligible
It is a general perception that offshore companies are set up to evade foreign taxes
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s Dr Yasmeen Rashid has filed a reference in the Election Commission of Pakistan challenging eligibility of the Prime Minister, reported Friday.
The opposition party has based its argument on the ground that Nawaz Sharif concealed his assets and thus has lost the moral authority to lead the nation.
The reference states that nomination papers of the premier did not have declaration of his wealth which was revealed by Panama Papers as it published documents leaked from a law firm, Mossack Fonseca.
The party has urged the commission to declare the Prime Minister ineligible in light of Article 62, 63 and different sections of People’s Representation Act.
Election Commission of Pakistan’s Additional Secretary, Fida Muhammad has forwarded PTI’s case to the legal department for proceedings.
PTI’s spokesperson, Naeemul Haq, while talking to the media outside the commission said that case against PM’s eligibility was very strong and the nation is living a very sensitive phase at this point in time.
Which is why, he said that the courts especially the Supreme Court should conclude hearings of cases pertaining to electoral rigging within as less time as possible.
Earlier in March International Consortium of Journalists studied a pile of documents that were leaked from the database of a Panama-based law firm by an anonymous source.
Panama Papers published the documents naming all the influential names in the world who own offshore companies. The paper did not allege any single one of them of evading taxes or establishing shell companies for illegal purposes.
However, it is a general perception that offshore companies are set up to evade foreign taxes on properties and assets abroad.
PTI among other opposition parties demanded the Prime Minister to resign for concealing assets and stashing wealth abroad.
It should be mentioned here that the Prime Minister does not own any company but his daughter and two sons were named in the paper.