The dominoes will fall once the de-notification takes place
All in all the commutative nine businesses were in loss. So, for three decades almost every business loses money and you keep getting richer and richer. That is the real story that was correctly pointed out by JIT; that they were clearly living beyond their means
Question: PML-N had adopted a visibly aggressive body language even before the Supreme Court reserved its verdict in the Panama case. What measures do you think are being considered if push comes to shove?
Asad Umer: They increased the rhetoric to very high pitch just before the JIT was about to submit its report. And once the report came out, they softened their stance.
A day before the judgment was reserved, they looked all tough and after the consultation meeting the statement that came out were that they’d accept the judgment. I think they just want to put pressure on the minds of the JIT and judges. In reality, I seriously doubt they’ll do anything akin to what led them to Jeddah the last time.
Q: Even if the Court throws out JIT findings there is still the matter of the money trail. If the Sharif family is indeed in possession of a fool-proof monetary transactions pertinent to the case, why on earth has it not presented said evidence to the Court so far?
AU: It is a very simple case. You are under scrutiny, you are being asked questions, give the money trail and that would be the end of the story. They haven’t done so because the actual transaction of money trail will show that the assets with which apartments were bought in ’93 and ’94. Since the kids were too young Nawaz Sharif has to provide the true facts.
The court was very clear when it said that even if the children fail to provide the money trail the onus will be on officer bearer.
Q: Why do they keep saying that the JIT could not find any misappropriation on part of the PM when the case is about specific properties and accounts and revolves around an income not justifying lifestyles? It may wash in press conferences, but how could such diversions help in the case?
AU: What they are trying to do is to give an impression that since the Sharif family is a business family, they might have done something not quite kosher in buying the apartment but that is it. There is no money laundering, there is no corruption, there is nothing else.
The reality of the matter is that this whole business family narrative is a camouflage for the real source of income for last couple of decades — that is corruption. Their Ittefaq foundry was running in losses, all the businesses they set up in ‘90s were in loss, Hudaibiya lost money, Chaudhry Sugar Mills lost money, the Dubai Steel Mills lost money and went bankrupt. All in all the commutative nine businesses were in loss. So, for three decades almost every business loses money and you keep getting richer and richer. That is the real story that was correctly pointed out by JIT; that they were clearly living beyond their means.
Q: In your opinion, is the entire ruling party really on one page of have some members presented differing views to the prime minister? Is the press right in deducing reservations on part of the interior minister, for example?
AU: Interior Minister Chaudhary Nisar generally has a reputation to speak in front of prime minister and I have first-hand knowledge that when you talk to ruling party members privately they opine that the prime minister should resign. However, they are also convinced that he won’t resign.
Obviously, we don’t have a direct line to the interior minister, but from media reports we get an impression that he might have spoken up and told the PM that it is about time. However, with announcement of press conference for today, we have to see what is on the offing. As of now, he stands firmly with the PM.
Q: Do you think there is truth in talk of a forward bloc in the PML-N? The party has its share of people who jumped over from other parties previously, after all, what makes the leadership these people will not abandon ship again?
AU: I think we’ll have a clearer picture of this the day Nawaz Sharif is de-notified as there is simply no reason to hurry at this time.
We, for a fact, know that there are factions in PML-N below Nawaz Sharif that cannot work with each other once Nawaz Sharif is removed from the top. Now, the dominoes will fall once the de-notification takes place.
Q: What will be PTI’s strategy if the Court gives a clean chit to the PM?
AU: (Laughs). This is out of the realm of possibility. Absolutely, if you’ve heard the comments of the judges, or let’s forget the judges, even Salman Akram Raja was pleading that the case be sent to a trial court for further investigation.
Under the charter of democracy which we call the charter of mukk mukka, the cases have not progressed. I think they had a remarkably long run for someone who accumulated their wealth and I see doom and gloom for them in near and far future
So there are three possibilities. One, he is de-notified. Second, he quits in the meantime and the third that he is de-notified and the case is sent to the trial court. If you read the judgment of Justice Khosa and Justice Gulzar, it’ll be clearer as they found him guilty.
Q: Do you believe an in-house change after disqualification can lead Parliament to Senate elections and where you see the House of Sharif after the SC verdict?
AU: It depends. See, after the conviction it would be very, very hard for the party to stay as coherent as it presently is. But obviously if they stand united they stand a very strong chance as they have the digits.
I really don’t see it ending anytime soon. It is really the first step towards the accountability of the mighty. There are multiple cases that are still in limbo and the smokescreen they’ve put forward is slowly coming apart. Under the charter of democracy which we call the charter of mukk mukka, the cases have not progressed.
I think they had a remarkably long run for someone who accumulated their wealth and I see doom and gloom for them in near and far future.
Interview conducted by Mian Abrar, Shah Nawaz Mohal