Sharif has no 'moral right' to remain Premiere: Imran post Panamagate verdict

Following the Panamagate verdict, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan on Thursday once again demanded Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's resignation over corruption allegations.

"What moral right does Nawaz have to remain premier when a criminal investigation is being launched against him," The Express Tribune quoted the PTI as saying while addressing the media soon after the Supreme Court's verdict.

Drawing a comparison between an investigation launched against gangster Uzair Baloch and the premier, Imran said, "If Nawaz is cleared after JIT's investigation, he can return to the seat."

"The verdict is historic because a sitting prime minister has never been investigated before," he said, adding the verdict to form a JIT proves all arguments by Sharif were lies.

Questioning the decision to include NAB officials in the JIT, Imran said, "Today, SC said NAB has failed. How can all those institutions working under PM apart from ISI, and MI probe him?"

Meanwhile, former president and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chair Asif Ali Zardari wondered as to why the Prime Minister's family was celebrating post the order.

Zardari told the media, "On what grounds is PML-N celebrating and distributing sweets? Are they celebrating that two senior judges called for the prime minister's disqualification?"

In a 3-2 judgement on the case, the apex court earlier ordered the formation of a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to continue probing the allegations of financial irregularities and money laundering, while noting that at present, there is "insufficient evidence to remove Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif."

The JIT has been given two months to complete the probe into the premier and his sons Hussain and Hasan, all of whom have also been directed to appear before the JIT. The investigators will also have to present bi-weekly reports to a special bench of the Supreme Court.