On Friday, Pakistan’s Supreme Court disqualified Nawaz Sharif from holding public office after a probe into his family wealth, cutting short his third stint as the country’s prime minister.
“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, according to Reuters.
The ruling came after a probe into the Sharif family’s wealth following the 2015 Panama Papers dump linking Sharif’s children to offshore companies. Sharif has consistently denied any wrongdoing in the case.
The verdict was handed down unanimously by a five-member bench in the court.
“Following the verdict, Nawaz Sharif has resigned from his responsibilities as prime minister,” a spokesman for Mr Sharif’s office said in a statement.
While the court has ordered further probes and anti-corruption cases against his daughter, her husband, finance minister of the country and others, Sharif’s ouster is likely to cause political turbulence in Pakistan as his party will have to find someone to hold office till next year’s elections.
On social media, however, the news was treated with the usual levity and humour when the verdict came out. While some discussed the ramifications of the verdict for Sharif’s opponents like Imran Khan, others joked that Indian politicians can perhaps form a stable government in the country.
Here’s a look at some of the tweets.
Some even remembered who else had been named in Panama Papers
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!