Government lawyer Dr. Farogh Naseem told the Supreme Court on Wednesday that Prime Minister Imran Khan had offered to step down if it was proved that he owned property in the UK.
Attorney Judge Qazi Faiz Issa was responding to a 10-judge full court statement, which included several petitions challenging the presidential reference filed against the judges for not disclosing their family's foreign assets. Is being heard.
Naseem said that not only the Prime Minister had offered to resign, but also allowed the confiscation of these assets and if they existed, the money would be deposited in the national treasury.
He further told the court that Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Accountability Shehzad Akbar had no assets in the UK. He added that former Information Minister Firdous Ashiq Khan had also denied owning any property in the UK.
Justice Umar Ata Bandial, who presided over the bench, noted that unfortunately both the parties approached the media to publish the news.
However, Justice Maqbool Baqir told him that Justice Issa had not alleged that these public figures had properties in the UK.
Naseem also told the bench that the Prime Minister had agreed to the bench's proposal to initiate tax proceedings against Justice Isa's family but with certain conditions.
'The matter will be decided by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) commissioner within two months,' he added. The petitioner and his wife will be asked to cooperate with the FBR.
A day earlier, the court had advised the federal government to take appropriate action to initiate tax proceedings against Justice Isa's family, citing several flaws in the presidential reference against the judge. And because of this, the case can be dismissed.
Justice Isa's lawyer Munir A. Malik said the judge had been facing a smear campaign for the past 13 months. He added that the judge had asked for a decision on merit because he did not want to sit on the bench with the idea that he and his wife were tax evaders. In view of the country's statement, the bench will decide on merit.
Justice Bandial noted that judges are accountable for financial matters. 'We are responsible in private and public life,' he added.
When Dr. Forough Naseem said that the court quashed the reference against former Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Chaudhry on the grounds of instability because the then government had called SJC members on special planes to initiate mismanagement. Justice Baqir said that the realities of malice injustice are more serious. The case of Jesus.
He also said that the executive could not be given unsatisfactory power to file a reference without solid material.
'This country has a history of violating the constitution by the executive. All institutions, including the judiciary, have been violated. We do not want to go in the wrong direction of history,' he said.
'We are not against any individual or any organization. We will not hesitate to sacrifice ourselves for the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary,' he added
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