Security tight as Pakistan braces for Supreme Court ruling that could topple PM

Record ID: 904552

  • Title: Security tight as Pakistan braces for Supreme Court ruling that could topple PM
  • Date: 28th July 2017
  • Summary: HEADLINE OF DAILY DAWN READING (English): "MAKE-OR-BREAK VERDICT FOR SHARIF TODAY"
  • Embargoed: 11th August 2017 06:38
  • Keywords: Pakistan Prime Minister court ruling security Nawaz Sharif Sharif ousting Sharif court ruling
  • Location: ISLAMABAD , PAKISTAN
  • City: ISLAMABAD , PAKISTAN
  • Country: Pakistan
  • Topics: Crime/Law/Justice,Judicial Process/Court Cases/Court Decisions
  • Reuters ID: LVA0046RMSCHX
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Pakistan tightened security around the Supreme Court on Friday (July 28) in anticipation of a court ruling that could disqualify Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif after an investigative panel alleged his family's wealth was far above their earnings in a scathing corruption report.
    The court is expected to start reading the verdict at 1130 a.m. local time (0630GMT). The court could dismiss Sharif, 67, outright or recommend a fresh investigation by the National Accountability Bureau, which would give Sharif breathing space before the next poll that must occur by early August in 2018.
    Sharif denies wrongdoing and has warned his ouster would destabilize Pakistan at a time when the economy is rebounding after a decade of political and security chaos. He has also alleged a conspiracy against him, and though he hasn't named anyone, his allies have privately spoken of elements in the judiciary and the military, with whom Sharif has strained relations, acting against him. The army denies any direct involvement.
    The legal proceedings against Sharif have captivated the nuclear-armed South Asian nation, where politicians are seldom subjected to the kind of scrutiny undergone by the premier.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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