Three member special implementation bench of the Supreme Court on Panamacase, on Wednesday remarked that there is no proof that the primeminister owns any property by himself.Another judge of the bench Justice Azmat Saeed remarked that nocorruption or misuse of authority was leveled in the jointinvestigation team (JIT) report.
Justice Ijazul Ahsan observed that the Sharif family did not produceany document to establish Hussain Nawaz was the original owner ofLondon flats but the JIT, on the other hand, found out that MaryamNawaz was the real owner of those apartments.
Advocate Khawaja Haris Ahmed counsel for Prime Minister Nawaz Sharifsaid that the children of his client were independent in theirbusiness, assets and properties and the prime minister had nothingto do with their assets and businesses.Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan remarked that the court would take adecision after looking at all the evidences.
Khawaja Haris said that his client had presented details ofall his assets to the joint investigation team (JIT).
He said that the prime minister had also provided details ofall assets and sources of income in the form of tax returns.Haris said that according to the laws of the NationalAccountability Bureau (NAB), an individual cannot be heldaccountable for the properties and assets that are in the name ofhis wife and children.
Justice Ejaz Afzal questioned why the prime minister claimed on thefloor of Parliament that all relevant documents are available toshow the source of funds used to obtain the offshore properties.
Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed remarked that the judges could not shuttheir eyes to the fact that no document was submitted by the Shariffamily to substantiate the source of funds used to establish HillMetal. “Though source of fund has not been provided by the primeminister, he received 86 per cent profit from the same business,” heobserved.
Khawaja Haris said that his client can only be held accountable for theproperties under his name, maintaining that the PM has no connectionto the London flats.
Upon this Justice Ejaz Afzal asked are there any recordsavailable with Hassan and Hussain Nawaz that can prove that theprime minister does not have any connection with the London flats?
Haris said that the connection between the prime minister andthe London flats is based on speculation. There are no documentsavailable to prove this, he added.Have you also brought a Qatari letter with you?” Justice Azmat Saeedasked Finance Minister Ishaq Dar’s lawyer, Tariq Hasan, as he beganhis arguments before the bench.Advocate Tariq Hassan said that the JIT had attempted to draghis client into the matter.
He said that the JIT had exceeded itsmandate. Upon this Justice Azmat Saeed asked the lawyer to approachtrial court if he had a lot of objections.Tariq Hassan said that the confessional statement in HudaibiaPapers Mills was extracted under duress, which had no legalsanctity.
The matter had been closed transaction of the past andcould not be reopened, he added.Justice Ijazul Ahsan remarked that he can tell him about Ishaq Dar’sconnection to this case. The name of the finance minister’s nephewis included in the transactions relating to the Gulf Steel Mills,the judge elaborated, adding that money from the Hill MetalEstablishment was transferred to the minister’s son, Ali Dar.
Hassan said that the JIT did not have the mandate to recommendreopening of the cases.Salman Akram Raja, counsel for Hussain and Hassan Nawaz, saidthat he wanted to submit records regarding the concerned companiesand pleaded the court for grant of time, saying that record had beensought from Dubai.
Later the court adjourned further hearing of the case till tomorrow.