Sharif’s legal team rejects probe report
A six-member Joint Investigation Team set up by the Supreme Court to investigate charges of money laundering against 67-year-old Sharif and his family had submitted the report on July 10 to the court
ISLAMABAD: Embattled Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif ’s legal team on Monday dismissed as illegal and biased a probe panel’s final report that recommended filing of a graft case against him and his children as the Supreme Court resumed the hearing of the Panamagate graft case.
A six-member Joint Investigation Team (JIT) set up by the Supreme Court to investigate charges of money laundering against 67-year-old Sharif and his family had submitted the report on July 10 to the court.
Khawja Harris on behalf of Sharif filed a response to the JIT report, rejecting its findings and accusing it of bias and violation of the original mandate.
“The JIT report is not only against the law but also the constitution of the country and its finding are, therefore, of not legal value,” he said. He also objected to the documents obtained from the foreign countries, which he said was against laws of the country.
He asked the court to provide the volume 10 of the report which was kept confidential on JIT’s request. Harris also urged the court to reject the JIT report. Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on his behalf separately submitted objections over the JIT report in the Supreme Court registrar’s office.
Earlier, Naeem Bokhari representing Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in his arguments appreciated the JIT and asked the court to imple- ment the report and disqualify the Prime Minister.
Later, Fawad Chaurdry of PTI told the media that Sharif has lost moral and political grounds to continue as prime minister.
“He (Sharif ) would not only be disqualified but also go to jail,” he said. Minister of state for information Mariam Aurangzeb said the government would accept the decision of the court. The court adjourned hearing till tomorrow.