Civil unrest risks for Pakistan as Panama Papers judgment looms
Pakistan's supreme court is due to rule on Thursday on the Panama Papers leak, which could result in Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif being deemed ineligible to hold office after leaked documents revealed his children's ownership of offshore companies which conducted millions of dollars' worth of property transactions. Security has been significantly beefed up, with about 1,000 security officers stationed around the supreme court in Islamabad in readiness for the verdict. Pakistan People's Party senior leader Syed Khursheed Shah warned that the judges' "decision can either strengthen the state or weaken it". 
This story was published prior the to the Supreme Court's verdict. For the latest coverage of the Panama Leaks verdict visit the link below.

ISLAMABAD: The day of judgement is upon us. All eyes are set on the Supreme Court, with less than an hour left for a scheduled announcement in the Panama leaks case, which took the country by storm over a year ago.

At 2:00 PM today, the apex court will announce "not a short but a long detailed judgement" on the Panama Papers revelation that the prime minister's children owned offshore companies dealing in millions of dollars in property transactions.

The case had drawn widespread media attention over the past year.

On Thursday, the apex court could take a range of steps. It could clear the prime minister, or order a further judicial commission of inquiry or even declare him ineligible to hold office, as it did in 2012 with then-Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani over a contempt of court case.

Panamagate: A timeline of how it unraveled

Imran Khan arrives at SC

PTI chairman Imran Khan has arrived at the Supreme Court minutes before the announcement of the verdict. Imran Khan told reports that whatever the decision was it would be beneficial as he made his way to courtroon No 1.



Imran Khan arrives at Supreme Court

Courtroom No 1 fills up

Courtroom No 1 where the Supreme Court will announce the verdict in the case has filled up. Only those people who have a pass signed by the deputy registrar have been allowed inside the room.

Leaders from the PML-N, PTI and other political parties are inside the courtroom.

Security beefed up

Meanwhile, security has been beefed up around the Supreme Court at Islamabad's Constitution Avenue. Additional barriers have been placed and barbed wires laid around several buildings.

Around 1000 police, Rangers and security personnel will be deployed inside and outside the apex court building, said SP Security.

The official said that no will be allowed to enter the court building without CNIC and special entrance pass.

He added that entry of irrelevant persons in the Red Zone will be blocked, while VIPs' security guards would also not be able to carry arms with them.

Read: PM says not waiting for any decision

Approximately 2,500 police officers have been deployed in the provincial capital Lahore ahead of the Panama verdict, according to a Punjab police spokesperson. The security force includes six superintendents, 29 deputy superintendents, 83 SHOs, 165 upper subordinates, and around 2,400 lower subordinates.



Additional security deployed at Supreme Court

Nawaz, Imran bar workers from going to SC

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif barred his party activists from going to the apex court, on the occasion of the announcement of a much-awaited verdict in the Panama leaks case. He said that no irrelevant person needs to go to the Supreme Court.

PTI chairman Imran Khan also restricted his workers from coming to the apex court. He said only central leaders of the party will go to the SC.

‘Historic day for Pakistan’

Awami Muslim League (AML) President Sheikh Rashid said this was a historic day for Pakistan. The AML chief emphasized that the nation should not be worried no lose hope.

“This is a war against the corrupt system where the masses are at a disadvantage.”

Hope judiciary brings end to corruption

Jamaat-e-Islami chief, Sirajul Haq hoped the judiciary would bring an end to corruption.

“After the Panama Papers surfaced, the prime ministers of many other countries resigned, but nothing happened in Pakistan, which is why we took to the court.”

‘Amazed to see overwhelming support’

Maryam Nawaz, the daughter of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, appeared overwhelmed by the support shown for the Prime Minister ahead of the much-awaited Panama leaks case verdict.

The PM’s daughter took to Twitter earlier today, mere hours before the verdict is due, to express her delight at the support.

Whatever the verdict, am amazed & humbled to see the overwhelming support for Nawaz Sharif. For a leader, that's the most prized possession. — Maryam Nawaz Sharif (@MaryamNSharif) April 20, 2017

PM's disqualification not likely

Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) President, Rasheed A Rizvi said he did not believe that the apex court would decide in favour of the PM’s disqualification.

Speaking to Geo News, Rizvi said corruption was the biggest problem in Pakistan. “The entire nation wants corruption eliminated.”

The SCBA president added that a comment regarding if this verdict would be remembered for centuries could be made after the announcement.

PTI to accept any verdict by SC

Leaders from the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, which has been a major stakeholder in the case, were optimistic for a positive judgment.

Speaking to reporters outside the Supreme Court, PTI central information secretary Naeem ul Haque said his party would accept the Supreme Court's verdict.

"Imran Khan has repeatedly said that the party will accept the SC’s verdict. We respect Pakistani courts and the SC is the highest court in Pakistan’s judicial hierarchy," Haque said.

"The SC's verdict on this case will be in favor of all Pakistani citizens," the PTI leader added.

Earlier on Wednesday, PTI leader Asad Umar said it was clear to him what the verdict would be.

"The evidence we saw during the last 12 months, the facts that were put before the nation, and what was presented to the Supreme Court. All facts and evidence are against Mian sb. When the nation sees that [Prime Minister] Nawaz Sharif could not bring anything other than the one Qatari letter, it is clear to us what the verdict will be," said PTI leader Asad Umar.

Read: PTI to hold rally after Panama Leaks verdict

Some people wishing for popular decision: PML-N

Hitting out at the opposition, ruling Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) lawmaker Talal Chaudhry said "some people are wishing for a popular decision".

"The court works according to the Constitution, and the decision will be based on evidence and not lies. This was a political case built up on lies. This case was not for accountability; it is for power," he said.

Chaudhry claimed the opposition had subjected the ruling party to a media trial during the past one year.

"But, God willing, with the verdict tomorrow, the world will know that all these accusations and all those petitions were based on lies, had no evidence, and that this was a political case," he said.

PML-N senior leader Khawaja Asif, who is a member of the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's cabinet, said there would always be some who would not react positively to the court's ruling.

"Based on the apex court's record from the past few years since it was freed from external pressures, I believe they have also given some historic verdicts. And it has had a positive effect on our politics, the government's performance, and the supremacy of the Constitution.

"But there is always more than one stakeholder in a decision, so some may appreciate it positively while others not so positively," he said.



Pro-Nawaz banners appear in Lahore ahead of Panama case verdict

Related: Stock market rises ahead of key Supreme Court verdict

PPP to form grand opposition alliance after verdict

Pakistan People's Party (PPP) has decided to form a grand opposition alliance after the verdict.

Sources said that PPP co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari chairing a party meeting on Wednesday said that they don’t have high expectations from the verdict.

The sources said that PPP had decided to form a grand opposition alliance after the Panama verdict. Zardari said that the PPP would not take solo flight but take all the opposition parties into confidence after the Panama decision.

The former president said that a befitting response would also be given to the decision.

During the meeting, it was decided to launch a mass contact drive in the country while a formal approval was also given to start protests against load-shedding.

Pakistan People's Party senior leader Syed Khursheed Shah said the it was a testing time for the judges on the apex court bench who had heard the case.

Referring to decisions from the last 70 years, he said the country had witnessed several key apex court verdicts "from Justice Muneer to Anwarul Haq", but the world today was not the same.

"The world appears to be a global village now. It has shrunk, and nothing can be hidden anymore. The situation today is very different. This decision can either strengthen the State or weaken it as well," he said.

'Unanimous decision' to bring out 'coffins of corruption'

The opposition Awami Muslim League leader Shaikh Rasheed, who has also been one of the petitioners in the case, said he was looking forward to a historic verdict that "will be remembered forever in the history of the judiciary".

"A decision that will ascertain the right path for this country, tighten the noose around corrupt people, and become a hurdle for anti-democratic forces. I am sure this decision will have a long-lasting effect and one that everyone will have to accept," he said.

Rasheed said those who refuse to accept the verdict will be at great loss.

"Inshallah, we will win this match by 0-5. It will be a unanimous decision that will bring out the coffins of corruption and, between 'Noon' and 'Qanoon', the law will be victorious," he said.

'Need to move forward'

Awami National Party leader Afrasiab Khattak said the case had garnered a lot of attention, but there was also a need to learn from the case and move forward.

"This is a high-profile case, not an ordinary case. Because [it concerns] the country's prime minister and his family, expectations are high. We believe that, whatever the decision, it should be according to the law, and upholds the Constitution," he said, speaking to Geo News.

"After this, we should move forward. There is a year to the elections, there are several other problems in the world, and there is a need to bring our attention to those problems as well."