- JIT asks ECP for details of the prime minister’s assets from 2013 to 2016
- NAB to provide a complete record of the Hudaibya Paper Mills case to the JIT
In the seventh meeting of the joint investigation team (JIT), the record produced by the Election Commission of Pakistan, National Accountability Bureau and the State Bank of Pakistan was thoroughly examined by the members here at Federal Judicial Academy here on Tuesday.
The meeting was headed by Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Additional Director General (DG), Wajid Zia.
Sources told Pakistan Today that the JIT also approached the former officials of NAB to trace the trails of Hudaibiya Paper mill case which is still pending with the National Accountability Bureau.
It is pertinent to mention here that the Musharraf government prepared a money laundering reference against PML-N leaders Mian Nawaz Sharif and Mian Shahbaz Sharif in 2000 on the basis of a statement recorded by one of their trusted lieutenants, Senator Ishaq Dar. Dar’s handwritten statement, given before a magistrate back on April 25, 2000, had alleged that Sharif brothers used the Hudaibya Paper Mills as cover for money laundering during the late 1990s.
Then, Dar said an amount of $3.725 million in Emirates Bank, $ 8.539 million in Al Faysal Bank and $2.622 million were later transferred in the accounts of the accounts Hudaibya Paper Mills.
Sources claimed that the former NAB officers are also assisting JIT over the affidavit submitted by Minister Finance Ishaq Dar.
JIT is also examining the statements of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, and his sons which were produced before the five-member bench of Supreme Court. JIT is also inspecting the speech of PM delivered in the National Assembly. Any discrepancies in the statements of the Nawaz family will be part of the questions that will be posed in the probe, sources added.
On Monday, the JIT had decided to hire the services of a private UK firm to conduct a forensic audit of documents related to Panama Papers, according to media reports.
The JIT has also sought a record of Sharif family’s tax returns from Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).
Earlier, the JIT wrote a letter to the Election Commission of Pakistan to submit the PM’s assets details, along with the details of his son-in-law Captain (r) Safdar.
The JIT, in the letter written to the ECP, asked the body to submit the details of the prime minister’s assets from 2013 to 2016. The ECP’s secrecy branch has prepared the file pertaining to the premier’s asset details. The file has been issued to the chief election commissioner, who will then hand it over to the JIT.
The JIT will investigate Sharif’s family assets in four different phases and proceedings of the investigation will remain in-camera, it was reported earlier.
PTI chief Imran Khan, in his political rallies, has been highlighting the discrepancies between the prime minister’s public statements and statements in the court. He also highlighted the discrepancies between the public statements of the Sharif family, including those of his sons, Hussain and Hassan Nawaz. During several of his rallies, Khan used to project the videos of aforementioned statements on the rally stages to prove his point.
Following these public rally accusations, a petition was filed in the Supreme Court asking the court to prevent Imran Khan from influencing the opinions of JIT members, including speeches and press releases. The petitioner feared that if Khan made political statements, it could lead to the derailment of democracy.
