- PM’s daughter will be making her first appearance on July 5, Hassan his third on July 3, Hussain his sixth on July 4
- She will be sixth member of Sharif family who will testify before JIT
The Joint Investigation Team (JIT), constituted by Supreme Court to probe global investments of Sharif family, has summoned premier’s children—Hussain Nawaz for a sixth time, Hassan Nawaz for a third time and Maryam Nawaz for the first time—to appear before it on July 3, July 4 and July 5, respectively.
The demands of work did not disappear for the JIT members, as they worked over the Eid holidays to meet the strict deadline of July 10 chosen for it by the apex court to complete investigations into Sharif family’s offshore assets.
The only day off for the JIT members was Monday (Eid day).
They held their routine proceedings a day before Eid, on Sunday—when they issued summons for Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s daughter Maryam Nawaz to appear before it on July 5—and resumed their work on Tuesday, a day after Eid to record statement of a private bank’s official who maintains business and personal accounts of Sharif family members, including the elder Sharif.
Supreme Court has time and again made it clear to the JIT members that it would not be given additional time and that it should complete investigations within the stipulated time—completing on July 10.
The JIT is expected to present their fourth and final fortnight report before the apex court on July 10.
As the investigation enters into its final stage, the JIT has lined up PM’s all three children to appear before the JIT on July 3, July 4 and July 5, respectively.
Maryam will be the sixth member of the Sharif family who will testify before the probe team after PM Sharif, CM Shehbaz Sharif, PM’s sons Hussain and Hassan, PM’s son-in-law Capt (retd) Safdar.
Hussain has already appeared before the JIT five times during the last one month, whereas Hassan Nawaz appeared twice.
The subject of the summons issued by the JIT for Maryam’s appearance state: “summon by the JIT to the person (s) acquainted with the facts of the (Panamagate) case”. The same language was used in the summons issued for Shehbaz Sharif.
PM’s all three children have been asked to reach the Federal Judicial Academy—the temporary secretariat for the JIT—at 11am, directing them to bring along all relevant record/documents/material pertaining to the case.
However, it’s not yet known whether or not PML-N leadership has allowed Maryam to appear before the JIT.
The prime minister’s cousin, Tariq Shafi, has also been summoned to make his second appearance before the JIT on July 2.
It is vital to mention here that Shafi had submitted an affidavit in the Supreme Court, stating that he was part of all transactions relating to the sale of Dubai properties owned by Mian Sharif—father of PM Nawaz Sharif—and transfer of that money to Qatar.
‘MARYAM WOULDN’T HAVE BEEN SUMMONED HAD PM STEPPED DOWN’:
Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan on Wednesday, while addressing a press conference, was asked about his opinion regarding the JIT summoning PM’s daughter. To that, he said, “The PM, in a bid to save his skin, had made his children and deceased father a scapegoat,” adding, “PM is responsible for summons issued to Maryam Nawaz.”
“The summons issued to Maryam Nawaz do not come as a surprise as she is the beneficiary of the Sharif family’s off-shore companies,” PTI spokesman Fawad Chaudhry said while talking to media.
Echoing Imran Khan’s sentiments, Awami Muslim League (AML) leader Sheikh Rasheed said that if Nawaz Sharif had given up his post of prime minister, in wake of the Panama Leaks issue, then Maryam wouldn’t have been required to appear before the JIT.
Sheikh Rasheed was speaking to media after visiting the injured of the Bahawalpur incident.
He said that Nawaz Sharif was asked earlier to step down from the position of prime minister, but he did not pay heed.
“The politicians would wake up from a slumber within 8-10 days,” he added.
