SAN FRANCISCO, July 28, (THEWILL) – Pakistan’s Supreme Court on Friday sacked the country’s Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif, over a damning corruption probe into his family’s wealth.
The court declared he is unfit to hold public office, and ordered a criminal investigation of his family thus truncating Sharif’s third stint in power.
The Supreme Court ruled unanimously that Sharif was not fit to hold office after an investigative panel alleged his family could not account for its vast wealth.
Sharif’s ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party, which has a majority in parliament, is expected to name a new Prime Minister to hold office until elections due next year.
However, a statement from Sharif insisted that he resigned.
The court also dismissed the Finance Minister, Ishaq Dar, one of Sharif’s closest allies who has been credited with steering the economy to its fastest pace of growth in a decade.
“He is no more eligible to be an honest member of the parliament, and he ceases to be holding the office of prime minister,” Judge Ejaz Afzal Khan said in court.
Prior to the decision, several cabinet ministers, including Sharif’s closest allies, said the ruling party would respect the Supreme Court’s verdict.
