ISLAMABAD: Former Prime Minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif on Monday termed Supreme Court’s (SC) disqualification verdict following Panama Papers case as ‘inappropriate’ and ‘superfluous’.
Nawaz, during statement recording in Avenfield properties reference case, said that SC’s July 28 verdict leading to his disqualification was uncalled for.
Former PM remarked that the apex court’s verdict hindered his right to a fair trial. Furthermore, Nawaz said that he had also recorded his reservations against the members of the Panama Papers Joint Investigation Team (JIT) as per Article 10 of the Constitution.
Sharif raised objections over the six members of the JIT that had affiliations with different political parties.
The former PM while referring to the JIT members said that one of the members SECP Exectutive Director Communication Bilal Rasool is the nephew of former Governor Punjab Mian Azhar. He added that Azhar’s son had links with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) as he had been seen in pictures with Imran Khan at his Bani Gala residence on August 24, 2017.
Nawaz also informed the court that Rasool’s wife was a proponent of PTI.
Former PM also raised questions over former head of panama papers JIT, Wajid Zia stating that he had employed the services of his cousin’s British law firm to probe into Panama papers. Sharif maintained the view that the biasness of Zia had been evident from the start.
Sharif centered his arguments with criticism towards that inclusion of MI and ISI officers in the JIT, adding that the report was compromised due to the current tense civilian-military relations.
Nawaz along with daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law Captain (r) Safdar are recording their statements in Avenfield reference case at the accountability court today.
Earlier, Judge Mohammad Bashir had extended the deadline of Sharif family’s statement recording owing to objections raised by the defense against the 127 questions pertaining to Avenfield properties sent by the court. Nawaz’s counsel had requested the court to grant more time so that the questions could be pondered over.
Accountability court on May 17 had sent over a questionnaire comprising of 127 questions to the Sharif family, directing the accused to present their testimony in accordance to the given questions.
The questionnaire comprises of questions related to formation of Panama Papers Joint Investigation Team (JIT), establishment of Gulf Steel Mills, statements of Sharif’s sons and JIT head Wajid Zia.
The JIT comprised of six members including Federal Investigation Agency Additional Director Wajid Zia, Amer Aziz of State Bank of Pakistan, Irfan Naeem Mangi (NAB), Brigadier (r) Nauman Saeed of ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence)and Brigadier Kamran Khurshid from Military Intelligence (MI).
