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.
Amit Shah is just few phone calls away from making government in Pakistan.#PanamaVerdict #NawazSharif
— TheFrustratedIndian (@FrustIndian) July 28, 2017
#PanamaVerdict Nawaz Sharif https://t.co/X0VBAg5at1 via @GIPHY pic.twitter.com/CREINaoFE0
— Ian Pont (@Ponty100mph) July 28, 2017
i dont know much about politics but i believe what happens now is nawaz sharif will get sworn back in tomorrow but as a bjp ally
— Rega Jha (@RegaJha) July 28, 2017
Pic 1: Zardari
— Rehan Ulhaq (@Rehan_ulhaq) July 28, 2017
Pic 2: Imran Khan
Pic 3: Nawaz Sharif pic.twitter.com/T2DvV1ojlS
Nawaz Sharif right now: pic.twitter.com/NvLyPJxdyN
— Rana Hamad. (@ranahamad315) July 28, 2017
Nawaz Sharif to whole nation: pic.twitter.com/TdOBUPfBBa
— Gone Nawaz Gone (@myaseenayub) July 28, 2017
How dare the SC of Pakistan disqualify Nawaz Sharif as the PM?
— Atul Khatri (@one_by_two) July 28, 2017
Only Arnab Goswami has these powers! #PanamaVerdict
"So you see that's where the trouble started. That smile. That damned smile." -Nawaz Sharif (13 Reasons Why I Got Disqualified) pic.twitter.com/z18GipF4cV
— Hifza Khan (@hifzakhann) July 28, 2017
"Hum yahaan haare huye states jeet rahe hain, tu jeeta hua haar gaya?" pic.twitter.com/iRzPnxbbyc
— Aisi Taisi Democracy (@AisiTaisiDemo) July 28, 2017
Some even remembered who else had been named in Panama Papers
Mahanayak's reaction to #PanamaVerdict pic.twitter.com/VqfzuTJEGv
— Rofl Gandhi (@RoflGandhi_) July 28, 2017
We welcome Mr.Sharif to India to become GST and Swachh Bharat brand ambassador. https://t.co/EJlIL6Dpjr
— Rofl Gandhi (@RoflGandhi_) July 28, 2017