A larger bench of the Supreme Court, resuming hearings on the Panamagate case on Wednesday, decided that hearings on the case would take place on a daily basis.
The bench, constituted by newly-appointed Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar and headed by Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, decided that the court would not accept any further unnecessary adjournments in the case.
Justice Khosa said, "We will not leave anything unattended."
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI) counsel Naeem Bokhari while presenting his arguments maintained that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had misguided lawmakers in a speech regarding his assets delivered earlier this year in the National Assembly following the Panama Leaks.
Bokhari told the court that Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, brother of PM Nawaz, had carried out transactions outside the country in London. He was of the opinion that Shahbaz Sharif's financial dealings should also be included in the case, but the court reminded him that that the CM Punjab had not been made party in the case.
The court ordered Bokhari to prove whether or not Hussain Nawaz, PM Nawaz's son, is the owner of certain offshore companies bought before 2006. Naeem claimed, saying that the Park Lane flats 16 and 16a were bought in 1995 for 75,000 pounds.
On Tuesday, a day before the the Panamagate case hearing resumed, PM Nawaz, his children and son-in-law changed their lawyers in what legal experts believe is a ploy to prolong the proceedings.
The change of the entire legal team, they believe, reflects the nervousness in the ruling family because they apparently were not satisfied with the earlier team.
Makhdoom Ali Khan replaced senior counsel Salman Aslam Butt, to defend the prime minister, whereas Maryam Nawaz and her husband retired Capt Mohammad Safdar will be represented by Advocate Shahid Hamid in place of Mohammad Akram Sheikh.
Senior counsel Salman Akram Raja will appear on behalf of Hussain Nawaz, the elder son of the prime minister.
This is the second time that lead counsel representing parties in the case have been changed. In November, PTI counsel Hamid Khan, was replaced by Advocate Naeem Bokhari after dissociating himself from the case.
It is expected that the newly engaged lawyers of the Nawaz family may seek more time to get themselves familiarised with the bulk of documents submitted to the court.
The development has evoked disapproval from the PTI side, with its vice-chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi demanding expeditious decision on the controversy through day-to-day hearings. He alleged that the change of the legal team by the Sharif family was a pretext to gain more time, although they had sufficient time after the case was adjourned on Dec 9.
