ISLAMABAD: Attorney General for Pakistan on Tuesday argued that Panama case was beyond the jurisdiction of the apex court.
During the hearing of the Panama Leaks case by the five member larger bench of the apex court, AGP Ashtar Ausaf submitted that as the petitioners had sought Prime Minister’s disqualification in their prayers, hence this court has no jurisdiction over the issue.
On this Justice Azmat Saeed said that the court had already decided the question of maintainability of the petitions.
Justice Ejaz Afzal observed that the court was to see what evidence was on record and whether any fundamental right was violated or not in the instant matter.
The AGP maintained that the court uses it powers while keeping in view the facts of the matter in hand.
He argued that the question was not about maintainability of the petitions rather about the powers to take a decision. He added that the court needed to be mindful about the fundamental right of fair trial enshrined in Article 10-A of the constitution.
During the proceeding, an interesting exchange took place between AGP and Justice Azmat Saeed over disqualification of anyone for lying.
Justice Azmat Saeed remarked there would be no married man who had not lied to his wife. “When a husband sitting at his office receives his wife phone, and told her he is on the way to home.” Upon this Justice Khosa remarked that only the unmarried men did not lie to wife.
The court directed the AGP to complete his argument by tomorrow.
