Panama case: PTI Lawyer arguments before Panama bench in SC
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PTI lawyer Naeem Bukhari has said the Sharif family has failed to prove their statements regarding the Gulf Steel Mills in Dubai.
The Gulf Steel Mills was not sold for 33 million Dirhams nor was the payment of 12 million Dirhams to Qatar’s Al-Thani family proved by the respondents, he said.
He added that the UAE justice ministry did not verify the April 14, 1980 transaction of Gulf Steel Mills.
Bukhari also reiterated several other points raised by the investigators in their final report.
In between the PTI counsel’s statements, Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan, who heads the bench, said as Shehbaz Sharif appeared in front of the JIT as a witness, his statement can only be used to identify discrepancies.
Terming the Qatari letter a concocted tale, Bukhari said the London properties have been in possession of the Sharif family since day one. He informed that the JIT was given documents from a respondent. When Justice Ijazul Ahsan inquired whether they are certified, the PTI counsel replied in the negative.
Taking his arguments further, Bukhari said the JIT wrote four letters to the Qatari prince to record his statement but the royal family member said he was not willing to accept the jurisdiction of Pakistani law. “Even the JIT stated in its report that it is not necessary to record his statement,” he said further.
Bukhari said the Nawaz Sharif is the chairman of the board of FZE Capital, adding that his signatures are on documents related to the company. Justice Saeed asked the PTI counsel if they documents were brought to Pakistan through mutual legal assistance or via sources. Bukhari replied that the JIT can answer that query.
Justice Ijaz asked if the premier received a salary for his services. "According to the records he received remuneration throughout but did not got a monthly salary," he observed further.
The court then took a brief recess. Once the hearing resumed, Bukhari said there’s a clear difference in the statements of the prime minister’s son Hasan and Hussain.
The PTI counsel said the Sharif family owns assets beyond their means — the conclusion reached by the JIT in its final report.
In his comments, Justice Ejaz wondered if the JIT can trust the veracity of the documents delivered to it without knowing their source.
