Raja Faisal
Joint Investigation Team (JIT) will face continuous questioning relating to the findings in their report regarding Panama case. The JIT will also be questioned in the accountability courts once the references are filed by National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
On Tuesday, JIT Head Wajid Zia appeared before the Combined Investigation Team (CIT) of NAB Rawalpindi and recorded his statement in relation to the probe of the Sharif Family’s Panama cases.
Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Additional Director Wajid Zia was heading the JIT formed on the orders of the Supreme Court to investigate the Panama cases of Sharif family. The JIT was tasked to probe the foreign assets of Sharif family. On July 10, the JIT recommended in the report that the references should be filed against former premier and his sons with the NAB.
Pakistan Today has learnt from well-placed sources in NAB that Zia appeared before the CIT as a witness. He submitted a questionnaire that he had been sent by the NAB officials and he was further questioned by the CIT regarding his answers to the questionnaire.
“The meeting was held in a friendly atmosphere and CIT was largely satisfied with the filled questionnaire, there were a few clarifications that were cleared”, the source added. Zia will be appearing before CIT Lahore on Wednesday, sources told further.
According to sources, both the CITs (Rawalpindi and Lahore) are tasked to finalise the references related to Panama cases a day before Eid, so that the references can be sent to NAB Headquarters with a sufficient time from September 3 to 7 to scrutinise them.
“NAB is strictly following the timeframe given by the Supreme Court, the references will be submitted to the accountability court by the due date of the submission”, source emphasised.
Sources said on the JIT members’ appearances before CITs of NAB that this will not end here, the JIT members would be dragged into the accountability courts as well, especially, when former premier Nawaz Sharif, his sons and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar did not appear before CITs of Rawalpindi and Lahore. Once the references are filed, the Sharif Family as well as JIT members will have to attend the courts whenever required by the court. The court can require the witness statements of individuals of JIT as well as from the JIT head.
Supreme Court Bar Association former president Barrister Ali Zafar, talking to Pakistan Today, said that JIT could be asked to come to the witness box, once the references are filed.
The NAB decided to file four references against former premier, his children, MNA Safdar and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar. These references would be filed in the accountability courts in accordance with the orders of the Supreme Court verdict. Meanwhile, members of the Sharif family, as well as Finance Minister Dar have challenged the SC’s verdict disqualifying Nawaz and ordering corruption probes against them.