ISLAMABAD: Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Saturday said that there are no corruption cases against his family and the case before the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) probing the Panama Papers case belongs to their personal business.
Talking to media after his appearance in front of the JIT at Federal Judicial Academy (FJA), he said he has recorded his statement before the JIT with the utmost respect. He said that “The elected prime minister wrote a new chapter the other day in the country’s history by appearing before the JIT.
Today is another historic day when for the first time an elected provincial chief minister presented himself before the investigation team.” Shahbaz said that he was asked to appear before the joint investigation team as somebody “acquainted with the facts of the Panamagate.”
The Punjab CM said that he has provided the all required details about the case and added that even though he has severe back pain he did not flee from the JIT’s summons. “I did not go away to London, never to return, like other politicians. Whatever questions the JIT asked, I answered them to the best of my knowledge,” he added.
He stressed that his family has served the purpose of rule of law in the country by appearing before the JIT formed by the Supreme Court to probe into the Panama Papers case.
He said that “It is not the first time that his family has been subjected to accountability, similar situations were witnessed in the eras of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and military dictatorship as well.”
“This is a case against our family, it is aimed at destabilising our family, just like the attempts made by others in the past,” he said .“This is not the first time that the Sharif family has been put to trial, people should not forget the time when our family’s Ittifaq Foundries were taken from us by force.”
Earlier, Shahbaz reached the FJA in Islamabad to record his statement before the JIT. He was accompanied by Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan while he was also accompanied by his son Hamza Shahbaz and Federal Finance Minister Senator Ishaq Dar.
He remained inside the building for more than four hours and answered to the queries of the investigation team. It is to be mentioned that Shahbaz was called as a witness, not as an accused party in the case. Strict security arrangements were put in place around the judicial academy which is the secretariat of the JIT.
Despite clear directives from Punjab CM, fervent supporters of Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) garnered outside the judicial academy and raised slogans in favour of their leader.
A large number of female supporters were also present at the occasion. Tariq Fazal, Hanif Abbasi and other PML-N leaders also arrived at the judicial academy and extended support for party’s leadership. Meanwhile, a rally was also conducted by PML-N workers in Rawalpindi.
On Thursday, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif recorded his statement before the JIT. Hussain Nawaz and Hassan Nawaz, the sons of the Prime Minister have also appeared before the JIT in connection with the investigation.
