- Title: Pakistan's lawyers divided over PM Sharif's ousting
- Date: 28th July 2017
- Summary: LAHORE, PAKISTAN (JULY 28, 2017) (REUTERS) **** WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY **** PUNJAB POLICE ARRIVING AT LAHORE HIGH COURT VARIOUS OR POLICE GATHERING OUTSIDE COURT AFTER BEING DEPLOYED LAWYERS WATCHING TELEVISION INSIDE BAR ROOM VARIOUS OF LAWYERS CHEERING AS NEWS OF PRIME MINISTER NAWAZ SHARIF DISQUALIFICATION IS ANNOUNCED VARIOUS OF LAWYERS CHANTING SLOGANS, INCLUDING (English): "GO NAWAZ GO!" AS THEY COME OUT OF COURT VARIOUS OF LAWYERS CLAPPING AND CHANTING (Urdu): "LONG LIVE PAKISTAN" (SOUNDBITE) (Urdu) ADVOCATE, SARDAR AFTAF VIRK, SAYING: "The Supreme Court ruling is a very significant decision. Now there will be accountability before elections. Unless and until all corrupt people in this country are apprehended, there will be no election. We want accountability first." LAWYERS SUPPORTING SHARIF CARRYING PHOTOGRAPHS OF HIM AS THEY COME OUT OF COURT POSTED WITH SHARIF'S PORTRAIT ON IT VARIOUS OF LAWYERS MARCHING AND CHANTING SLOGANS, INCLUDING (Urdu): "LONG LIVE NAWAZ SHARIF." (SOUNDBITE) (Urdu) UNIDENTIFIED LAWYER SUPPORTING OUSTED PRIME MINISTER NAWAZ SHARIF SAYING: "We are going to challenge this court ruling in every possible forum. Although the Supreme Court has ruled against Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif, the people's decision is going to come in 2018 and, God willing, in 2018 Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif will be victorious." LAWYERS MARCHING PAST, HOLDING UP POSTER OF SHARIF
- Embargoed: 11th August 2017 12:37
- Keywords: Nawaz Sharif Sharif ousted Pakistan politics Pakistani lawyers Prime Minister Sharif
- Location: LAHORE, PAKISTAN
- City: LAHORE, PAKISTAN
- Country: Pakistan
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA0016RMT4XX
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The legal community in Pakistan's Lahore on Friday (July 28) was divided over the Supreme Court's disqualification of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif from office over undeclared assets.
The court ruling has plunged the nuclear-armed South Asian nation into political turmoil after a period of relative stability, with the uproar spilling over into the premises of the Lahore High Court, where lawyers who oppose Sharif faced off with those who support him.
Sharif swiftly resigned on Friday but in a statement his spokesman said there were "serious reservations" about the judicial process after the court ordered a criminal probe into his family over corruption allegations stemming from the "Panama Papers" leaks of international offshore companies. Sharif has always denied any wrongdoing and has dismissed the investigation into him as biased and inaccurate.
The ousting raises questions about Pakistan's fragile democracy, and marks a major political victory for opposition leader Imran Khan, a former cricket star who last year threatened mass street protests unless Sharif's wealth was investigated. Khan himself is also under Supreme Court investigation on allegations he failed to declare sources of income, a charge he denies.
Sharif's ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party, which won a majority in parliament in 2013, is expected to name a new prime minister to hold office until elections due next year. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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