Panamagate: Imran Khan demands Sharif's resignation

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan on Thursday demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif after a Supreme Court bench declared there was “insufficient evidence” to remove him from office on graft charges.

“I demand that Sharif should resign immediately as he has lost moral authority to rule the country,” Khan said at a press conference here.A five-member Supreme Court bench in a 3-2 split decision on Thursday ordered to set up a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to probe the allegations of money laundering against Sharif.

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The case was based on several identical petitions by Khan and others about alleged illegal assets of the family Prime Minister Sharif in London.

Khan termed the verdict as indictment of Sharif as the bench did not absolve him of the allegations.

He said if Sharif is not ready to step down permanently, he should step aside for 60 days when JIT would probe the money laundering allegations, as ordered by the court.

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Khan said the court has rejected the defence of Sharif and his family that their properties in London were bought with clean money.

“The court has unanimously rejected a letter by Qatari prince (who said in the letter that he provided the money used to buy flats in London),” said Khan.

Khan also accepted the verdict and said his party has been vindicated that Sharif was involved in corruption.