- Investigators question PM’s younger son for seven hours
- PM’s son not allowed to leave even for Friday prayers
- Hassan brings documents to submit before investigators
Hassan Nawaz, a businessman and the younger son of Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, on Friday appeared before the Joint Investigation Team (JIT), constituted by the Supreme Court to investigate the Panama Papers case.
Hassan arrived at the Federal Judicial Academy, where the JIT has set up its secretariat, at around 10 am to record his statement and left at 5 pm. The questioning lasted for approximately seven hours. Hassan did not speak to the journalists after leaving the Federal Judicial Academy.
Strict security measures were in place in light of the prime minister’s son’s arrival at the venue, as no one was allowed to come close to his motorcade, including his personal security staff. Hassan, who recently arrived from London after receiving the summons from the JIT, brought with him some necessary documents to submit before the investigators.
Reportedly, Hassan tried to go outside the Federal Judicial Academy but he was not allowed to leave even for the first Friday prayers of the holy Islamic month of Ramazan. However, the JIT members and staff departed for the prayers along with their vehicles from the back gates at around 1:10 pm and then restarted the questioning session at around 2:30 pm.
Upon his arrival, the Pakistan Muslim League-N leaders including PM’s Special Assistant Asif Kirmani, Daniyal Aziz, Islamabad Mayor Sheikh Anser Aziz, Deputy Mayor Zeeshan Ali Naqvi and others were present outside the academy and chanted slogans as Hassan Nawaz came out of his car and waved to the crowd.
The PML-N leadership – who wanted to received their leader’s son – was not allowed to enter the security zone that had barbed wires around it outside the main gate of the security. The security personnel ensured that no one entered the zone. There was strong retaliation by the security men which left many injured.
Resultantly neither the PML-N leadership was allowed to receive Hassan upon his arrival to record statement nor to say good-bye at the time of his departure due to new security arrangements.
Minister for Capital Administration Tariq Fazal was also not allowed to enter the area and was insulted by a sub-inspector. “This behaviour is not a good sign,” the deputy mayor said. Talking to journalists, Daniyal said that PML-N always respected all the institutions and refuted the allegations that it maligned state institutions.
Today, Hassan appeared before the JIT after he arrived from abroad, he said and pointed out that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has been maligning and disrespecting state institutions since 2014. He said that there was a need to hold those people accountable who threatened the government institutions while speaking from the container.
Kirmani also said that the PML-N always accepted the decision of the courts. He said that when the video of Senator Nihal Hashmi first surfaced, the action was taken against him immediately on the directive of Nawaz Sharif – the party chief. The government would accept the decision of the apex court whatever it may be, he told a questioner.
Kirmani said that the PTI chief introduced the culture of abuse and foul language against the government institutions. Whatever language Imran Khan had used against the judges, had he (Kirmani) used it he would have been behind the bars, he said.
Javed Kayani, a friend of Nawaz Sharif, also appeared before the JIT and recorded his statement on Friday. Kayani has been alleged to open multiple ‘fake’ accounts on multiple occasions to ‘facilitate’ Sharif family. In 1992, he allegedly opened three ‘fake’ accounts in the names of Sulman Zia, Muhammad Ramzan and Asghar Ali at the Habib Bank AG Zurich branch in Lahore.
During the Panama hearing, the bank records presented by the petitioner claimed that the money was transferred from those accounts allegedly opened by Kayani in August 1992, to Sheikh Saeed Muhammad, based in Washington DC. Kayani, the individual behind the opening of the accounts, is said to be the nephew of Sheikh Saeed Muhammad.
Kayani, additionally opened three more accounts at the Bank of America in Lahore, in the name Kashif Masood Qazi, Sikander Masood Qazi and Nuzhat Masood Qazi. Records show that a sum of $20,00,000 was transferred from the account of Sulman Zia to the account of Kashif Qazi.
This money was allegedly used as collateral by the Sharif family for sanctioning a loan for the Hudabiya Engineering from the Bank of America. The directors of Hudaibiya at that time were Nawaz Sharif, Shahbaz Sharif, Kulsoom Nawaz and Hussain Nawaz. According to PTI’s claims, Sulman Zia is said to have received a sum of $20,81,038 through traveller cheques between 1992 and 1993.
Nearly $350,000 from the fake account of Sulman Zia was then transferred in 1993 to Shamrock Consulting Corporation, a company registered in the British Virgin Islands. The Sharif family is said to have utilised services of Urs Specker, the general manager of Ansbacher Switzerland, a company acting allegedly on behalf of the Sharif family, to purchase four luxury properties in London worth $5 million.
According to the documents, it was established that Urs purchased four luxury flats – 16, 16A, 17, 17A – at the Avenfield House in London. This transaction was arranged through a firm of solicitors namely Dibb Lupton Broomhead in 1993, 1995 and 1996. When in London, Hussain Nawaz resides at suite number 17 Avenfield House and it is also his official address with his bank and college.
These flats are owned by two companies called Nielson Enterprises Ltd and Nescoll Ltd, both of which are registered in the British Virgin Islands. These companies are controlled by Urs Specker. According to one of the documents attached in the PTI’s case file, Maryam Nawaz has signed on a certificate confirming that she is the sole shareholder of Nescoll Ltd. The document is dated February 7, 2006.