Pak SC absolves Imran Khan, won't reopen case against Sharif
The Pakistani Supreme Court (SC) has rejected a petition seeking cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan's disqualification as an MP for not declaring his assets. Separately, the SC has rejected an anti-corruption watchdog's appeal to reopen a money laundering case against former PM Nawaz Sharif and his family. An adverse ruling would've made Khan and Sharif's brother Shehbaz ineligible to contest the 2018 general elections.
SC ruled in favor of Imran Khan
The court ruled that Khan's sprawling property located in Islamabad's outskirts, which is at the center of allegations against him, was lawfully bought for his family. It said Khan wasn't a shareholder in the offshore company named Niazi Services Ltd. Hence, he wasn't liable to disclose its existence in his 2013 nomination papers. It said all of Khan's assets had been lawfully accounted for.
Khan's aide Jahangir Tareen disqualified as MP
The case against Khan, who leads the Tehreek-e-Insaf party, was filed by rival PML-N leader Hanif Abbasi. Abbasi sought Khan's disqualification for allegedly improperly declaring his assets to the Election Commission. The SC has disqualified Khan's close aide Jahangir Tareen as an MP for life. Tareen was found dishonest under provisions of the Constitution and The Representation of the People Act.
SC refuses to reopen corruption case against Sharif family
Meanwhile, a separate SC bench rejected an appeal to reopen the corruption case against Sharif and his family after the National Accountability Bureau failed to satisfy the court. The NAB had filed an appeal against the Lahore High Court's 2014 ruling to close the Hudaibiya Paper Mills case. Shehbaz Sharif, the ruling PML-N party's likely PM candidate, is an accused in the case.
