Panama case rehearing on January 4,CJP Nisar not part of the bench

ISLAMABAD:(APS)DECEMBER 31,2016-A five-judge larger bench headed by Justice Asif Saeed Khosa has been constituted by the Supreme Court to resume hearing of the Pana­ma Papers case from January 4.

Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, who took oath as the new chief justice on Saturday, will not be part of the new bench.

The Panamagate case is investigating the prime minister and his close family members over alleged investments in offshore companies.

Procee­dings in the case had ended on Dec 9 when the Supreme Court said that arguments from both sides would commence afresh when hearings resume in January.

The court had to adjourn the proceedings to the first week of January because then chief justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali was about to reach superannuation on Dec 30.

Before adjourning the hearing, Justice Jamali had said that “these matters shall not be treated as part heard”, meaning that arguments from both sides would commence afresh when the proceeding resumes