- PM’s son neither received any questionnaire, nor list of documents, required by investigators
FARID SABRI/SHAH NAWAZ MOHAL
ISLAMABAD: Hussain Nawaz, son of Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, on Sunday appeared before the joint investigation team (JIT), constituted by the Supreme Court on Panama Papers case.
On his arrival at the Federal Judicial Academy here, Hussain told journalists that he was appearing before the team along with his counsel on a short notice received on Saturday. He said that he had neither received any questionnaire so far, nor the list of documents required by the JIT. “I am comfortable. The JIT sent me notice without any details and questions to be asked during the proceedings,” he said.
Around 11 am, Hussain along with his lawyer reached the judicial academy, where he was questioned by JIT. JIT gave Hussain two days until May 30 to submit some documents related to investments and transactions made through Nielsen and Nescol limited.
Hussain sought more time on three counts – he was not showed a questionnaire, he was not given enough time to prepare himself and an application filed by him where he has challenged the impartiality of two of the six members of the team is impending before the Supreme Court.
Sources privy to the development said that the council for Hussain Nawaz was not allowed to assist him during the investigations by the joint team. Sources cornfield in Pakistan Today that out of nearly 90 minutes Hussain spent inside the federal judicial academy, the secretariat of the JIT, some 30 minutes were wasted after JIT members refused to allow Hussain’s lawyer Saad Hashmi to sit with him [Hussain] during the questioning process.
Insiders claim that Hussain was told by the JIT that he was not allowed to accompany anyone, including his counsel while recording a statement and that if he [Hussain] needed so then he should take permission from the Supreme Court in this regard.
Hussain, after appearing before the six-member JIT for the first time, he left the building without briefing the media about the situation.
Talking to the media, Hussain Nawaz said that he had received a notice from the JIT to present himself before it within 24 hours. He denied that he had been served any questionnaire by the JIT. While the premier’s son was before the JIT, several PML-N leaders including Tariq Fazal, Hanif Abbasi, Danyal Aziz, Mayor Sheikh Ansar Aziz and others were present at the occasion to show solidarity with him.
In order to investigate, the JIT has drawn up a list of questions, mostly regarding tax returns of London flats. Hussain is the second high-profile individual to appear before the probe body after prime minister’s cousin Tariq Shafi who was thoroughly questioned by the investigators.
In view of a recent directive from the Supreme Court that the JIT should conclude and complete its investigations within the allotted 60-day period, the team has been working even on weekends to meet the deadline. Khawaja Haris will appear on Hussain’s behalf before the three-judge special bench, which will take up plea against two JIT members, on Monday (today).
In a letter to the special bench, Hussain has pointed out that the JIT member from the Security and Exchange Commission of Pakistan Bilal Rasool was the nephew of PTI leader Mian Azhar. Despite being a public servant, Bilal frequently speaks against the federal government, while his wife was also a PTI supporter, he said.
Regarding the JIT member from the State Bank of Pakistan Amer Aziz, Hussain said he was part of the investigation team in the Hudaibiya Paper Mills case during the regime of former president Pervez Musharraf. He said that Aziz also threatened the prime minister’s cousin while investigating him in the Panama case.
The probe team, headed by Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Additional Director General Wajid Zia, comprises of members from SBP, SECP, NAB, MI and ISI. It is pertinent to mention here that Hussain Nawaz has submitted an application before the Supreme Court’s registrar, highlighting certain actions and political inclinations and bias of the two JIT members that is set to be heard today (Monday).
“The undersign[ed] requests that the facts narrated in the application may kindly be brought to the notice of the bench constituted for the implementation of the verdict [April 20, 2017] passed in Constitution Petition No 29 of 2016 for the gracious consideration and passing of appropriate orders by the bench in terms of the prayer,” Hussain said in his application.
Talking to journalists, National Assembly Member Daniyal Aziz said that Hussain Nawaz who lives abroad has appeared before the investigation team as the Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) had great respect for constitutional institutions and always believed in the supremacy of law.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his family had not sought any kind of legal or technical exemption, rather showed respect to constitutional institutions. Contrary to this, Daniyal said PTI Chairman Imran Khan had been declared as an absconder by Anti-Terrorism Court since 2014 and he had not been willfully appearing before the court for last three years.
Besides, Imran has been using derogatory language against constitutional institutions, he pointed out.