Pakistan have tightened security around the Supreme Court 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. 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.