Page 47 - 072917

Groton Daily Independent
Saturday, July 29, 2017 ~ Vol. 25 - No. 029 ~ 47 of 67
Pakistan’s prime minister resigns after high court ruling By MUNIR AHMED and ZARAR KHAN, Associated Press
ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan’s beleaguered Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif stepped down Friday after the Supreme Court ordered him removed from of ce over allegations of cor- ruption, plunging the nuclear-armed nation into a political crisis.
The ve-judge panel acted on peti- tions led by Sharif’s political oppo- nents alleging that he and his family failed to disclose assets stemming from last year’s “Panama Papers” leaks. The court ordered that criminal charges be led against Sharif and four relatives.
In a unanimous decision, the court said he had not been “truthful and honest,” and it also dismissed him from the National Assembly — the lower house of Parliament.
Sharifimmediatelyresignedinwhat he called a show of respect for the judiciary, even though he said the court’s decision was unjusti ed.
In this Thursday, June 15, 2017, photo, Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif speaks to reporters outside the premises of the Joint Investigation Team, in Islamabad, Pakistan.Pakistan’sSupremeCourtinaunanimousdeci- sion has asked the country’s anti-corruption body to le corruption charges against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, his two sons and daughter for concealing their assets. (AP Photo/B.K.Bangash)
ThelandmarkrulingthrewPakistan,
which is battling attacks by Islamic
militants, into political disarray and raised questions about who will succeed Sharif — and even who is running the country at the moment.
The court asked Pakistan’s gurehead President Mamnoon Hussain to “ensure continuation of the demo- cratic process.” He is expected to convene the National Assembly once Sharif’s ruling Pakistan Muslim League party, which enjoys a comfortable majority, nominates a successor to serve as prime minister until general elections are held in June 2018.
Sharif’s political opponents danced in the streets and opposition leader Imran Khan urged them to gather Sunday in the capital of Islamabad to celebrate their legal victory against the “corrupt ruling elite.”
Khan, a former cricket star, described the disquali cation as a “good omen” for Pakistan. He said at a news conference that he hopes all those who “looted” the nation’s wealth would face a similar fate.
Sharif’s party expressed its disappointment and urged supporters to keep calm and avoid confrontations.
“This decision is not surprising, but we are disappointed,” Information Minister Maryam Aurangzeb told reporters.
The 67-year-old Sharif, who has served three separate stints as prime minister, has a history of rocky relations with Pakistan’s military, the country’s most powerful institution. He was rst dismissed from power by the army’s hand-picked president in 1993 about midway through his ve-term term. In 1999, military dictator Gen. Pervez Musharraf overthrew Sharif in a bloodless coup and exiled him to Saudi Arabia.
Sharif’s supporters suggested the military applauded the court decision because it viewed him as an upstart who sought to challenge its authority.
The military has ruled Pakistan for more than half of its 70-year history and has been unwilling to see its in uence challenged.