Nawaz Sharif: Decision to disqualify me as Pakistan's prime minister was taken before Panama Papers verdict

Islamabad: Pakistan’s former prime minister Nawaz Sharif on Monday said that the decision to disqualify him was taken before the Supreme Court announced the verdict after concluding the hearing in the Panama Papers scandal. Sharif was disqualified by the Supreme Court on 28 July for not disclosing the salary he did not receive from his son’s company. “The decision to disqualify me had already been taken, only a justification was being sought,” he told reporters. He said there was big debate in the country over his disqualification as people were not satisfied with the reason cited by the court to send him home. He said being the elected prime minister of Pakistan he had certain rights and it was important that various institutions respect each other. [caption id=“attachment_3870503” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File image of Nawaz Sharif. AP[/caption] Sharif also challenged the court over the trial of former military dictator Pervez Musharraf and asked if there were any judges in the country who could hold Musharraf accountable. “Is there any court which can hold former dictators responsible for crimes like breaking up the country,” he asked. Sharif said he had not misappropriated even a single penny and it was wrong to say that he was trying to dodge accountability. He said he appeared before the probe panel set up by the Supreme Court despite suggestion he was not bound to face the interrogation. Sharif is scheduled to go back to Lahore on Wednesday by the GT Road and Opposition has criticised that he was using it to interact with supporters to put pressure on the courts. He rejected the impression and said it was a “journey back home and not a protest.”