Deposed Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif files review

Pakistan's ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif on Saturday submitted another review petition in the Supreme Court challenging his disqualification in the Panamagate case. Sharif, 67, stepped down after an apex court bench disqualified him on July 28 from continuing in his office for possessing a work permit at the firm of his son in the UAE. The fresh review petition has been filed against the verdict of the apex court bench of July 28 and Sharif asked the court to declare its verdict void. Sharif argued that he cannot be disqualified for not declaring his salary which had not drawn, as neither the company was mentioned in the petitions against him nor it could be termed as a salary under Pakistan's income tax laws. In the fresh review petition, Sharif said he was not bound to declare it in papers submitted with the election commission as under income tax laws only such a salary is declared which has been received by the filer. Sharif also expressed reservations that his objections against the joint investigation team (JIT) were dismissed without properly hearing them. He also objected the court orders to complete trial in six months after the court in its July 28 verdict set time line for anti-corruption courts against Sharif and his family. Sharif already filed three review petitions against the five-member bench verdict of April 20, when a split decision let to formation of the JIT. Separately, Sharif's children Hussain, Hassan and Maryam, and son-in-law retired captain Mohammad Safdar challenged the July 28 verdict of the court on Friday. Also, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar filed a review petition against the verdict on August 21. The court had ordered National Accountability Bureau on July 28 to launch corruption cases against the Sharif family and Dar.