Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif resigned Friday after the Pakistani supreme court disqualified him for office on grounds of corruption stemming from revelations in the 2015 Panama Papers leak that Sharif concealed some of his family's assets. Sharif's party, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), retains control of the legislature and is meeting to pick a new prime minister Saturday.
The situation has raised concerns that Pakistan's military might use this power vacuum to undermine democratic institutions, as has happened following past resignations. "It is now clear that the military establishment is firmly in control of this project," argued one Pakistani editorial, noting that Sharif has been chosen as prime minister three times and remains popular among voters.
Sharif has been ousted by the military twice before, in 1993 and 1999. His daughter, Maryam Nawaz, tweeted that he will "return" to Pakistani politics "with greater force."
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