Sharif challenges probe report on Panama Papers
LEGAL WRANGLE Apex court starts hearings that will decide future of Pak PM
ISLAMABAD : Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif filed objections to an investigative panel’s report that concluded his family’ s assets exceeded their sources of income as Pakistan’s Supreme Court resumed hearing the Panamagate case on Monday.
The hearings are expected to decide the future of Sh ar if, who is fighting for his job and con testing the Joint Investigation Team (JIT)’s damning corruption report.
The top court could put Sharif on trial on corruption charges or even disqualify him, but few expect the judges to dismiss the case after JIT appointed by the court tab led adam aging 254- page report into his family wealth.
In a petition filed through his lawyer, Sharif said most of the information collected by the JIT is baseless and mal a fide, and that the head of the panel used personal friends and relatives to make a case against the premier’ s family.
Sh ar if ,67, also said the J IT misused its powers and, in many instances, misrepresented his family and its business dealings. Finance minister Ishaq Dar, related to Sharif by marriage, also filed objections to the JIT’s report.
The premier also argued that some documents from foreign governments included in the JIT’s report had no legal value and should not be considered as evidence. Referring to Inter- Services Intelligence’ s representative in the J IT, Sh ar if said the person was not an employee of the spy agency and could not represent it on such a body.
The counsel for I mr an Khan’ s party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, which had petitioned the apex court to investigate the allegations against the Sharif family, told the judges that the JIT had highlighted how the Sharifs had been unable to establish the money trail in several transac- tions. The Supreme Court adjourned the matter till Tuesday after hearing the lawyers from both sides.
Minister of state for information Marriyum Aurangzeb told reporters she was encouraged by the proceedings and expected the court to reject the JIT’s findings and exonerate the Sharif family of all charges.
“After the full documents are reviewed by the Supreme Court, and documents pertaining to Volume 10( of the JIT’ s report) are examined, the case against the prime mini se rand his family will collapse ,” she said .“The decision to hold the prime minister guilty lies with the Supreme Court, not the JIT.”
Volume 10 includes sensitive documents supplied by foreign countries which were not included in the JIT’s report.
Sharif has denied any wrongdoing after the JIT’s report alleged his family’s vast wealth was beyond their means, and accused his children, including daughter Maryam Nawaz, of signing forged documents.