Panamagate probe panel submits report to Pak SC
ACTION BEGINS Criminal case against chairman of securities regulatory body
ISLAMABAD : The Supreme Court ordered the opening of a criminal case against the chairman of Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan after a panel probing the alleged offshore assets of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s family submitted its final report on Monday.
A three-judge bench of the Supreme Court swung into action after receiving the report from the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) that examined allegations of money laundering.
Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan chairman Zafar Hijazi had been accused by a federal investigation agency of tampering records to favour Sharif’s family. The bench also ordered a contempt of court notice to be issued to the Jang Group, a leading media house, for a story published in its The News daily that speculated on the findings of the JIT.
Citing “sources close to the JIT”, The News had reported on Monday that the panel had not held the prime minister responsible for any wrongdoing, though it linked Sharif’s sons Hussain and Hassan to some questionable financial transactions.
The bench also took notice of statements made by public and political figures regarding the case and sought transcripts of all speeches made in the past 60 days by members of the ruling PML-N party. It ordered that the name and institution of the individual responsible for leaking a photo of Hussain Nawaz appearing before the JIT should be made public.
Members of the JIT arrived at the Supreme Court amid tight security. Large cardboard boxes labelled “Evidence” were carted into the court as the members of the panel made their way into the courtroom.
The Supreme Court took up the matter after it was petitioned by the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) regarding disclosures in the Panama Papers leaks about offshore assets owned by Sharif’s three children.
PML-N spokesman Daniyal Aziz said his party believed the JIT’s report was “dead on arrival” and “still-born”.
The party believes the statement of former Qatari premier Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al-Thani regarding the purchase of offshore assets by the Sharif family should be part of the evidence, he said.
PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry expressed hope the Supreme Court’s order would be upheld.