Islamabad: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Wednesday began proceedings on petitions seeking disqualification of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and some others holding public offices.

The ECP issued notices to the PM and others to respond by September 6 to the petitions filed by opposition Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf, Pakistan People’s Party, Pakistan Awami Tehreek and Awami Muslim League.

Besides the PM, the respondents include Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and retired army captain Safdar Hussain, son-in-law of the country’s chief executive.

Alleging that the respondents had not declaring their alleged offshore wealth revealed in leaked papers of a Panama based law firm, the petitioners have sought their disqualification.

Media outlets around the globe published in April details on offshore financial dealings of world leaders, business moguls and others gleaned from millions of leaked documents from Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca.

The leaked documents showed the Pakistani PM’s sons Hassan and Hussain and his daughter Maryam owning at least three offshore holding companies registered in the British Virgin Islands.

Denying any wrongdoing, Nawaz Sharif offered a probe by a high-level judicial commission but government-opposition controversy over its terms of reference effectively scuttled the proposal.

The Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI) leader Imran Khan kicked off August 7 a so-called “accountability movement’ over alleged corruption of rulers, taking out a procession from Peshawar and later holding rallies in Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

Pakistan march

Khan has announced what he called a ‘Pakistan march’ on September 3 from Gujranwala to Lahore, capital of Punjab province, power base of the Sharif family.

Last week, the prime minister publicly lashed out what he termed ‘negative and disruptive politics” of the PTI leader and asserted that people have rejected this and stand behind the government’s development agenda.

A PTI central leader, Shah Mahmud Qureshi claimed on Wednesday the party’s movement enjoys support of other opposition parties, denying claims that it was on a ‘solo flight.’

Apparent drift toward confrontation on the political landscape is currently a hot topic in debates on the national electronic media about possible repercussions in the weeks ahead.