SC turns down Hussain Nawaz objections on JIT
SC turns down Hussain Nawaz objections on JIT: The elder son of Prime Minister, Hussain Nawaz, will be appearing before the joint investigation team (JIT) which is probing the Panama Papers case for a second time today (Tuesday) 30th, May, 2017, the move comes after the Supreme Court had turned down his objections against two of the body’s members.
Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan, who is heading the three-judge implementation bench of the Supreme Court observed on Monday 29th, May, 2017 that “We are not going to remove any JIT member on mere conjecture unless something concrete comes up because the prime minister is the one being investigated”
Earlier the PM’s son had objected to the inclusion of two members, Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan’s Bilal Rasool and State Bank of Pakistan’s Amer Aziz. Hussain Nawaz had accused both of them of being close to the PML-N’s political rivals.
Justice Khan explained that the JIT members had been nominated after considering their experience, he further added that mere suspicion could not become the basis for their transfer.
Justice Khan replied when the counsel for Hussain Nawaz requested the court to appoint someone neutral with no previous relationship with anybody “The apprehensions should be reasonable, otherwise we will have to summon angels from heaven to conduct the investigation.”
However Justice Khan further highlighted that whatever the JIT collected has to ultimately laid before the court in the form of a fortnightly or final report. Thus, the court would decide what was admissible and what was not.
At the moment Hussain Nawz’s Attorney General Ashtar Ausaf suggested that the court could order the JIT to provide a list of documents it needed whenever it summoned someone, at this Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed observed that the court did not expect the law officer to take sides.
Furthermore Hussain Nawaz’ counsel Khawaja Muhammad Haris repeatedly referred to an application filed by Tariq Shafi the prime minister’s cousin, who had alleged that he was made to sit before the JIT for 13 hours at a stretch, during the time one of the members continuously intimidated, browbeat and harassed him, while another threatened him to withdraw the affidavit he had submitted in the Panama Papers leaks case or face penal consequences.
The counsel said that Mr Shafi had even been called a liar repeatedly by one JIT member.
In reply, Justice Saeed observed that Mr Shafi had been summoned by the probe team for an interrogation and not “a tea party.”
Justice Ijaz-ul-Ahsan at the moment recalled that the JIT had been working overtime, even sitting on Saturdays and Sundays as they had to complete the task assigned to them within the stipulated period of 60 days.
Justice Ahsan wondered that “What is the [point] of the JIT if they do not interrogate you?” regretting that the court had noticed a lot of delaying tactics and resistance to the process. “It is your job to provide complete material, because it was you who knows which documents have to be provided in your defence” Justice Ahsan added.
Although Hussain Nawaz was not present at the hearing, PTI leaders Jahangir Tareen, Ishaq Khakwani, Naeemul Haq and Fawad Chaudhry quietly observed proceedings. Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb and PML-N MNAs Talal Chaudhry and Daniyal Aziz were also present at the hearing.
During the hearing Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Additional Director General Wajid Zia who is heading the the JIT informed the court that a witness, British-Pakistani Kashif Masood Qazi, did not appear despite being summoned since he lived abroad.
National Bank of Pakistan CEO Saeed Ahmed, who is another witness in the case was said to be avoiding the probe, since he had also not appeared before the probe body, despite repeated summons.
However when the Supreme Court bench warned that non-bailable arrest warrants can be issued in his name, Attorney General Ashtar Ausaf Ali assured the court that Mr Ahmed would appear before the investigation team on Tuesday.
Both these witnesses are connected with the Hudabiya Paper Mills case: in Ishaq Dar’s confession, which the Finance Minister had later disowned, Ishaq Dar had earlier admitted to launder $14.86 million and opening of two bank accounts in the names of Sikandar Masood Qazi and Talat Masood Qazi for Nawaz Sharif’s brother.
In the confessional statement dated April 4, 2000 Mr Dar said he had known Masood Ahmed Qazi, the head of the family, since 1970.
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