Hearing of Panama case by Supreme Court special bench begins
The special implementation bench, headed by Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan, will hear arguments against the Joint Investigation Team report by the respondents, who submitted their responses objecting to the mode of the investigation on Monday.
Continuing his arguments from yesterday, Khawaja Harris, the Sharif family’s lawyer, read out the original 13 questions posed by the Supreme Court to the JIT.
He said the court, in its April 20 judgment, had not ordered for reopening of any case against Nawaz Sharif.
Harris claimed the JIT also included ‘assets beyond means’ in its probe and went on to answer 15 questions instead of the original 13.
In response, Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed asked if the counsel believes it was not in the JIT’s domain to probe additional assets.
Justice Ijazul Ahsan observed that a number of issues are related to the court’s 13 questions. The justice remarked that the money trail of the London properties is a complicated saga.
Before the start of the hearing, lawyer Salman Akram Raja, representing Nawaz Sharif’s children, said he will present his arguments in court tomorrow.
As was the case on Monday, Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rashid informally began the day’s events by addressing the media. He said they [Sharifs] have no case.
The AML chief also criticised the Sharif family’s claims against ISI’s Brig (retd) Nauman Saeed — one of two JIT members from military intelligence agencies.
“Don’t mess with the judges and the generals. There were 19 cases against Nawaz Sharif and he was only tried in two,” said Rashid.
State minister Abid Sher Ali addressed the media afterwards and came down hard on Sheikh Rashid. He also crticised Pakistan Muslim League-Q leader Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain for being an uninvited guest at yesterday’s hearing.
The state water and power minister said the courts will decide the matter according to facts not people’s wishes.
Opposition Leader Khursheed Shah said the Supreme Court is the country’s biggest court where justice is dispensed. Speaking to the media outside the apex court, the senior Pakistan Peoples Party leader said they have faith in the Supreme Court.
Shah also reiterated the opposition’s demand for the prime minister’s resignation, saying the preservation of democracy is supreme.
On Monday, the petitioners delivered their arguments in favour of the Panama case JIT report and against the Sharif family.
The counsels for the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) and Sheikh Rashid presented their arguments during Monday’s proceedings.
PTI counsel Naeem Bukhari pleaded with the apex court to summon Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for cross examination, disqualify him from Parliament and send cases against him and his family to an accountability court.
The counsel for JI argued that the premier did not speak the truth during his speech in Parliament.
Sheikh Rashid, presenting his arguments, said the nation was embarrassed to find out its prime minister is a paid employer of another company.
In his brief remarks to the bench on Monday, the Sharif family’s lawyer said a case against the Sharif family cannot be undertaken on the basis of the JIT report.
The bench observed that an investigation was required based on the nature of the allegations and was thus directed. “The JIT was not conducting a trial…choose you words carefully,” observed Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed.
Later, the bench adjourned the hearing, with Justice Ejaz observing that they do not wish to waste the court and the nation’s time.
During proceedings, Justice Ejaz wondered if the JIT can trust the veracity of the documents while Justice Ijazul Ahsan asked the JI counsel to inform the bench to what extent could it implement the JIT’s findings and use its authority.
The JIT, formed in light of the apex court’s April 20 judgment to probe the Sharif family’s money trail, submitted its 60-day investigation report to the court on July 10.
The report highlighted the failure of the Sharif family to provide a money trail for its London apartments and claimed the prime minister and his children own assets beyond their known sources of income.
Following the report’s submission, the special bench issued notices to all parties to submit their responses.
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