Addressing an Eid-Millan party, organised by the PML-N workers in his constituency here on Sunday, he said PML-N does not believe in politics of hatred and revenge.

He said, ”Panama Papers have no legal value only in Pakistan these documents were taken seriously, where an elected prime minister and his family were dragged into cases".

The minister said Charter of Democracy was signed to bury the negative politics, however, certain elements are trying to revive the politics of hatred.

He also came down hard on TV talk show hosts, saying some ‘journalists' were biased in their coverage of the government while those who stand with democracy are dubbed traitors.

The PML-N leader further explained that his Saturday's remarks ”warning the opposition not to derail democracy" were his own ‘personal political views and had nothing to do with the PML-N's party policy.

Saad said international financial journals and institutions are now acknowledging economic growth in Pakistan. He said the country has been put o the path of progress and prosperity.

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The joint investigation team (JIT), tasked to probe the Sharif family’s offshore assets, interrogated Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s cousin Tariq Shafi for the second time on Sunday.

Shafi, a key witness in the Panama Papers case, was grilled by the six-member team for three hours on Hudabiya Paper Mills and Gulf Steel Mills, allegedly owned by the Sharif brothers, according to Express News.

The ruling family has mentioned Shafi as the legal owner in all the official documents, business transactions and agreements since the establishment of Gulf Steel Mills in 1970s.

Talking to reporters outside the Federal Judicial Academy after his appearance before the JIT, Shafi said neither did he submit any document nor was he asked to reappear before the investigative body. He, however, shunned a question on the JIT member’s attitude and left with State Minister for Water and Power Abid Sher Ali.

In his earlier appearance before the JIT, Shafi had moved a complaint against the ‘misbehaviour’ of a few members of the investigative body.

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ISLAMABAD - With the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) wrapping up its investigation into Panama Papers revelations the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) leaders have starting turning bitter and bitter against the Supreme Court appointed probe body to minimise the negative fallout of the findings.

The party leadership is busy working out strategies to tackle with possible worst outcome of the JIT findings but in all these options there is no option to confront with the institutions. However, as part of the damage control strategy the party could make the probe body controversial, which the party leaders have already started by coming up with serious charges against some of the JIT members as well as its modus operandi of investigation.

Sources in the party informed that in case of any adverse findings the party would file its objections on it with the apex court and at the same time would play with it in media and public to portray themselves as victim.

These sources said that worst come worst the party would not push the things to the extent where the system would be endangered as the fall of the incumbent political dispensation would cost the ruling party dearly which would be all means try to stretch the rule till next March when the Senate elections would take place.

Political observers say that by making the JIT controversial the PML-N leaders are actually trying to keep their electorate intact as they want to portray the PML-N leadership as victim and not the accused facing serious charges of money laundering and concealment of assets.

Actually, PML-N could not afford to tread confrontational course especially in the given situation. In case of dislodging of the sitting government in an unconstitutional fashion the ruling party would be the main loser as on one hand they would be out of power while on the other hand the Panama Leaks case would continue in the apex court against them and they would be facing courts as ordinary people with no leverage which they have right now, the observers believe.

The insiders in the ruling PML-N have confirmed that the party would push things to the level where institutions would come in direct confrontation and would contest their case in both political and legal arenas side by side.

These sources said that the party leaders are pointing out and highlighting the biases of the JIT just to make their legal case strong while by doing so they would also be keeping their electorates intact.

The sources in the party also informed that the close aides of Premier Sharif are busy preparing strategies to deal with the possible outcome of the JIT findings which would be submitted to the apex court by 10th of this month and most likely the same would come in media soon after its tabling before the three-member JIT administrative bench.

So to deal with the situation the PML-N had geared up a campaign to make the probe body controversial while some leaders are tacitly also pointing finger at the apex court judges who had equated the ruling family with Sicilian mafia and dubbed Prime Minister as godfather.

A senior leader of the ruling PML-N while commenting on the situation, said that as the JIT is politicising the investigation so the reaction of the ruling party on the findings of the probe body will also be political.

Without naming anyone, he said that certain forces are pushing them to the wall and they are subjected to this kind of treatment only because the prime minister wants to transform Pakistan into an economic power of the region.

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ISLAMABAD – A director of Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) has revealed that the SECP record on Sharif family’s business details was changed at the behest of chairman Zafar Hijazi.

Maheen Fatima, in a statement before Federal Investigation Agency claimed that her boss Zafar Hijazi forced her to add few statement against the six-member Joint Investigation Team after she appeared before it.

‘He asked me to add few lines regarding the aggressive attitude of regarding aggressive attitude of JIT and my weeping episode in front of it in presence of Akif Saeed, Mr Yaser Manzoor, Ms Mussarat Jabeen and Mr Muzaffar Mirza’ the statement said.

Maheen, however, did not budge under the pressure despite repeated attempts made by the chairman as she was weary of the fact that her statement against JIT could be used in media.

But, the SECP boss again called her on June 15 and forced to write a statement that closed the investigations in 2016, in relevant date for ensuring compliance of manual to which Maheen replied that the sattement should be her and another SECP official Ali. On the intervention of Mr Tahir, the chairman stopped pressurising her.

After having realised that Maheen was not going to follow the instructions by chairman, the commission called a meeting of all heads of departments, the next day during which SECP official Mr. Mirza pointed out that witnesses of JIT had protection of job and career but the chairman said only protection of job is given, however, transfer can be made and for this purpose SECP has office at Gilgit, thus conveying an indirect ‘threatening’ message to his staffers.

On June 20, another meeting was convened where Hijazi again asked Maheen to prepare a statement before FIA that the statement during JIT’s session was made under duress and coercion.

The following day, SECP officials including Maheen informed chairman that the statement before JIT was made on the basis of facts and cannot be changed. This annoyed the SECP head while another official Mr.Mirza threatened Maheen that she was accused and so she should seek legal help as she could not make a statement against herself.

Maheen claimed that the probe against the Sharifs’ sugar mill was closed in May 2013 “on satisfactory explanation by the Company”.

It bears mentioning that the Joint Investigation Team had alleged the SECP of tampering with the records in its fortnightly report before the apex court.

Responding to the allegations, SECP affirmed that the record was not tampered with, however, the matter was referred to FIA following which Maheen recorded her statement and apparently blew the lid off how SECP carried out its proceedings back in 2016, before the formation of Joint Investigation Team.

On the other hand, the Chief of Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) distanced himself from any possible ‘deficiencies or wrongdoings’ of his ‘subordinates’.

“A head of any organisation cannot be supposed to be aware of any deficiencies or shortcomings in a particular case file nor can he be considered responsible for any such deficiency or wrongdoing,” SECP chairman Zafar Hijazi said while rejecting the claims about his alleged involvement in tampering records related to Sharif’s Chaudhry Sugar Mills.

“If this precedent of allowing subordinates to apportion blame for their omissions or wrongdoings is allowed to be set, every subordinate officer may attribute his failings to the heads of organisation,” Hijazi was quoted as saying in an official handout issued by the SECP on Friday.

Nonetheless, the Joint Investigation Team is in its final round of proceedings and has been ordered to complete its probe by July 10.

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Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's son, Hassan Nawaz, on Monday appeared before the six-member joint investigation team (JIT) probing the foreign business dealings of the Sharif family.

This was Hassan's third appearance before the probe team and it lasted over two hours.

Speaking to reporters outside the Federal Judicial Academy (FJA) for the first time in his three visits, Hassan said he had submitted to the JIT information and all documents concerning his companies and businesses in Britain, including "bank statements, loan statements and tax return documents".

"I asked the JIT one question: 'You are asking me all these questions, asking for all the documents — it is my right to ask what is your accusation against me?'," he said.

Hassan also said pejoratively that the JIT seemed to have set up a "Friday bazaar" to issue repeated summonses to his family members and demanded that the team explain what the family is accused of.

"The JIT has been trying since many days to frame a charge [against the Sharif family]," he alleged.

Hassan also wondered what the JIT accuses him of, "when the tax authorities of Britain," where he has held businesses for 15 years, have "never accused [him] of any wrongdoing".

Hassan also said he would appear before the JIT even if he was summoned 100 times and answer every question asked.

"You can even send summons to my 85-year-old grandmother," he quipped.

He also alleged that the JIT had no issues with the prime minister's children, but "the real issue is Nawaz Sharif".

"His [the premier's] children are being used to exert pressure on Nawaz Sharif," he alleged.

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The finance minister, while briefing the media about his JIT appearance, denied claims he had been summoned by the JIT thrice before but had failed to appear due to prior commitments.

"The first notice I received was dated June 28," he said.

"I answered the questions they [the JIT] asked today because I believe whatever the situation is, it is very transparent," he said after the JIT hearing.

He claimed that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's name had not been mentioned in any case nor in any company documents related to the Panama Papers, and alleged that those whose names were mentioned included the heads of other political parties.

"As far as the Panama Papers case is concerned, the PM's family presented themselves before the JIT but, just as they said, there is no evidence of even a rupee of corruption or scam," he alleged.

"As far as the JIT's credibility is concerned, they will have to prove it. The confessional statement [in the Hudaibiya Paper Mills case] is not written by my hand.

"It has no evidentiary value — I did not make that decision. I am telling you that the superior judiciary made that decision. The prosecutor-general said it has no evidentiary value."

Dar also said that it was 'hurtful' to see Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's daughter, Maryam Nawaz, being summoned by the JIT as she was like a daughter to him.

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ISLAMABAD: Today for the third time, Qatari Prince Hamad Bin Jassim Bin Jaber Al Thani has refused to visit the Pakistan Embassy to record his statement in Panama Leaks case. Sources told that the prince has asked the authorities to come to his house if they want to record his statement for the panama case.

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ISLAMABAD:
Refusing to answer any questions regarding the Hudaibiya Paper Mills case, one of the key pieces of evidence against the family of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, has appeared to be the new strategy of the ruling family while facing the joint investigation team (JIT) formed by the Supreme Court to probe the Panama Papers scandal.

Another part of the strategy is to take on the JIT, investigating into the property owned by the Sharif family in London, aggressively and even respond to its questions with aggression.

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Sources close to the development and advising the Sharif family on the case have revealed that the strategy flows from the fact that they want to limit the JIT to investigating the source of income for acquiring London flats that are owned by companies registered in Panama. The beneficiary directors of the companies are PM's sons: Hassan Nawaz and Husain Nawaz and his daughter Maryam Nawaz is the trustee of the companies.

PM's political secretary Asif Kirmani betrayed this strategy as in his media talks he addressed the JIT and asked it to refrain from the Hudaibiya Paper Mills case and focus on Qatar as the money trail is through the oil and gas-rich kingdom.

The legal advice given to the witnesses being called by the probing bench is that the Hudaibiya Paper Mills case was closed by the high court in 2014 therefore it cannot be questioned and investigation into it cannot be reopened.

In the meanwhile, in the absence of any documentary evidence by Qatari Prince Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber al Thani, the JIT refuses to believe that the money invested in the UK is any way linked to some ‘claimed' investment with the Qatari royal family. The JIT is also in no mood to visit Qatar and present itself before Prince Hamad in his own office as some media reports suggest that he has offered.

The JIT is taking its strength from the verdict of the Supreme Court bench that had established the JIT. The verdict was very specific in exploring all possible sources of the finances that were used to acquire the London properties.

The apex court's verdict read: ”The JIT may also examine the evidence and material, if any, already available with the FIA and NAB relating to or having any nexus with the possession or acquisition of the aforesaid flats or any other assets or pecuniary resources and their origin."

This clearly shows that the JIT can access and probe any materials that could help address different questions raised by the SC in its verdict of April 20, 2017.

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A fresh wave of attacks on the JIT has also been spurred by a fresh assessment that the JIT's progress and questioning was leading towards a scenario where the political career of the Sharif family could be jeopardised. This strategy started unfolding before Eid holidays and after that it has become a full-fledged media attack on the JIT.

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LAHORE - In terms of legal provisions of Civil Procedural Code (CPC) and the Qanune Shahadat, obligation rests with defendant Sharifs to produce Qatari prince before the joint investigation team (JIT) for establishing veracity of the letters earlier produced on his behalf before the Supreme Court in defence of the money trail for purchase of London flats.

The expert opinion of the lawyers dominates that the JIT was competent to call the witness as per direction of the Supreme Court verdict of April 20 last and not to reach out to the witnesses as it would be overstepping the mandate. A pivotal legal point which debarred the JIT from travelling to Qatar examine the veracity of the alleged third letter of Qatari prince, is the fact that this time Sharifs were in the docks as a private party which laid the onus on them to substantiate their case through documentary material and evidence. If it had been an official case and production of an accused and not witness would be needed, then a direction might have been passed by the competent court to meet the objective.

In this situation if political leaders on the ruling side stress on the JIT for moving to Qatar otherwise they would not accept its findings, is tantamount to contempt of court, said senior advocate Muhammad Azhar Siddiq. He said a section of press has reported the story of the Qatari prince letter to the JIT and leaking information of this highly confidential matter, leads to the impression of a weak case on the Qatari letters otherwise visits of the princes from Middle East to Pakistan for hunting purposes is not something unknown to the people. Azhar said that the JIT is holding investigations under the Pakistani law applicable to this soil as such the Qatari prince needs to attend the JIT instead of team members proceed to them.

It may be mentioned that the JIT has already rejected the option of travelling to Qatar although it had gathered record from London to ascertain authenticity of some documentary evidence before it. The previous two letters of the Qatari prince were presented before the SC by the respondents to prove their case and the JIT has sought appearance of the prince to confront him on what he had claimed in the same. But he had refused to show up earlier on security reasons and now on the question jurisdiction of the law.

Former senior judge of the Lahore High Court and the Attorney General Malik Muhammad Qayyum is of the firm opinion that the JIT cannot go to Qatar and had jurisdiction to summon only. He said the law required the Qatari prince to appear before it here otherwise his letters will lose every reason to be admitted as evidence. When the former judge was asked on the modern day video link technology to record the evidence, he discarded this option as not valid in the instant case which was an investigation and not merely recording of the statement of a person. He said that if the Qatari will not appear, the JIT would complete the investigation without it marking in the report that he was summoned but did not turn up.

Former SCBA president Ali Zafar says it is responsibility of the Sharifs in the first instance, to effect appearance of the Qatari prince. However, he said, if the Qatari prince says that he has material to prove the source of income for the Sharifs’ London property, the JIT may write to SC for permission to travel to Qatar but for that end, the JIT should be in the knowledge what that source is.

Barrister Zafar said JIT will not and should not travel to Qatar if the prince had to speak on the letters only which was already rejected by the apex court.

during the court proceedings. The foremost responsibility, he said, is of the defendant to materialise appearance of the Qatari prince.

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SephLuis said:

This is very similar to a case currently happening here in Brazil where it can change the course of the country for the better.

I do hope that this will pay off well for your country, but be prepared. I honestly doubt that those currently in power, either by merit or not, will leave it in a peaceful manner. I fear that the same might happen here.

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Under Brazilian law, two-thirds of the lower house of Congress must vote to approve any criminal charge against a sitting president, who could then only be tried by the Supreme Court.

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Poetic.Injustice said:

So does Temer have congress in his pocket like Sharif has parliament in his pocket?

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Stinkles said:

Epic work on updating this thread Poetic.

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The prime minister's elder son, Hussain Nawaz, while speaking to the media after being questioned by a Supreme Court-sanctioned joint investigation team (JIT) probing his family's business dealings abroad, warned investigators against using 'unconstitutional means' to gather evidence, and insisted that no evidence of wrongdoing by his family could be found.

After his sixth question-and-answer session with the investigators, Hussain appeared frustrated at being called repeatedly to answer allegations, insisting that "these matters could have been settled in two hearings" and alleging that the JIT "was needlessly complicating matters."

"Respecting the orders of the Supreme Court, we have been coming here and answering their questions [even though] we have been made to wait as well."

"As far as the report that is going to be finalised is concerned, I maintain that they will not find any evidence against any member of my family and the reason is that there is no evidence of misuse of office or corruption or money laundering," he said.

"There is no proof, so how can it be found?" he added.

"The thing is, when there is no truth, an investigation cannot be undertaken against anyone," he continued.

"If you have proof against me or my family, then carrying out an investigation is the right of the state and of the people; but when there is no proof, do not give them the permission to 'create' evidence," he said while addressing the media.

"They have tried in many ways [to collect proof] and these things are going to come forward in the future, but the truth is they will not find anything," he added.

Hussain also alleged that the JIT may try to conjure up witnesses or pressure people to testify against the Sharifs.

"I do not know what is going on here," he said, gesturing to the Federal Judicial Academy, where the JIT maintains its headquarters.

"I only want to make you aware that in case... the mandate of the country is insulted, this should not be permitted and will not be permitted," he said.

"This has happened with us before in the form of the [Musharraf plane hijack] conspiracy case, [when] false witnesses were presented against us... I want to remind every official of the state that you saw where that case is and where Musharraf himself is right now."

"So, before doing anything unlawful, keep in mind that you too will have to stand before the same courts tomorrow; and the allegations that will be brought against you and the investigations that will then be conducted, you are well aware of [what they will entail]," he warned.

"It will be the same media, the same judiciary and the same political order. If you do anything that is against the Constitution, you will not get away with it," he concluded.

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Two members of the joint investigation team (JIT) probing international financial investments of Sharif family, Brigadier Kamran from Military Intelligence (MI) and Irfan Naeem Mangi from the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) left Pakistan on Tuesday early morning, and reached Dubai to examine the documents of Gulf Steel Mills provided by the Sharif family.

However, some media outlets reported day in and out that the JIT members reached Doha– capital of Qatar – to record the statement of former Qatari premier Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al-Thani, the man who wrote two letters to Supreme Court claiming he was in business with Mian Mohammad Sharif [PM's father] and gave money to purchase London property in Panamagate case.

”Following the tensions between the Gulf States and Qatar, all flights are banned through Dubai to Qatar too, then how can they visit Qatar via Dubai? They went to examine and re-verify the documents of Gulf Steel Mill's owned by Sharif family. If they were tasked to record the statement of Qatari Prince, then they could leave for Qatar, not Dubai," said sources, close to the development.

According to the ticket details, available with Pakistan Today, it is learnt that JIT members, Karman and Mangi via flight number EK0615 of Business class departed at 3:10 am and arrived in Dubai on terminal 3 at 5:20 am. They are scheduled to come back after one-day's short visit from Dubai to Islamabad via flight EK0612 through BOEING 777-300 ER aircraft today (July 5) at 7:30am.

It is noted that earlier, documents submitted by the children of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif contain the respondent's version of how Gulf Steel Mills were set up in Dubai to Supreme Court in Panamagate case.

”...In the year 1973, after severe victimisation and unfair treatment of the then government, Late Mian Muhammad Sharif moved to the United Arab Emirates and had set-up Gulf Steel Mills in the year 1974 in Dubai," the documents read.

Late Mian Muhammad Sharif carried on this very business through his nephew Muhammad Tariq Shafi and Muhammad Hussain was a partner in the Company.

Earlier, during the hearings of the Panamagate case in the Supreme Court, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's counsel submitted two letters authored by Hamad Bin Jassim Bin Jaber Al-Thani, the prime minister of Qatar from 2007 to 2013, as evidence backing his claims.

In the first letter, Al-Thani said the premier's father, Mian Mohammad Sharif, made an investment of approximately 12 million dirhams in the Al-Thani family's real estate business. The second Qatari letter was also accompanied by transaction details and auditor's reports regarding the Gulf Steel Mills in Dubai and the Azizia Steel Mills in Jeddah.

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Poetic.Injustice said:

So does Temer have congress in his pocket like Sharif has parliament in his pocket?

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SephLuis said:

Most likely, yes. But rather "in his pocket", I would say they are on the same boat. If he falls, they fall together,

The biggest issue here is that the case isn't fighting one or two powerful individuals of corruption, but it's challenging a whole system of corruption that is probably older than the country itself.

It's complicated, but we will have our elections next year. And I can almost guarantee it will be a bigger party than the last US one.

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Poetic.Injustice said:

Until you have strong institutions set up to probe and investigate every politician before they can be elected, it's very difficult to prevent corruption. All the institutions being exposed is the key, the healthy debate taking place right now is how to make them independent and strong. A strong and independent supreme court is why the case is at this stage.

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"I answered whatever questions they [the JIT] asked me ... I tried to answer with honesty," she claimed.

"I asked the JIT what the accusation against us [the Sharif family] is. They had no answer to my question," she claimed.

She took particular issue with the JIT's probe into her family's private businesses, saying nobody had a right to look into the private accounts of the Sharif family.

"If public money was involved, then we are answerable, but that is not the case regarding private businesses," she said.

"Those who have cases of misuse of public funds open against them have petitioned for stay orders. We [however] can justify our properties and have been doing so," she claimed.

"Why are those who have no businesses and no source of income not being questioned," she asked, making a veiled reference to PTI chief Imran Khan, who was also accused by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar of owning wealth beyond his means.

"They thought my father would be pressured by using his daughter's name," she said. "Those who think Nawaz Sharif's daughter is his weakness will find she is his strength."

"Those who have no regard for daughters and family values will never understand these things," she added, in what appeared to be another attack aimed at Imran Khan. "If you are targeting me because I am Nawaz Sharif's daughter, I will fight back because I am his daughter."

"We could have taken immunity and hidden, we could have absconded from the courts and gone to Nathia Gali, but we presented ourselves for accountability."

The prime minister's daughter also warned her father's detractors that they should fear the day PM Sharif brings out the skeletons from their closets. "The secrets he carries and the conspiracies against him — don't push him to the point where he must reveal those," she said.

"If you conspire against Nawaz Sharif, he will return stronger than before... He will become PM for the fourth, fifth time. Stop him if you can," she challenged.

"Stop him or the power crisis will end. Stop him or the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor will be completed. Stop him or he will win the 2018 election."

The PM's daughter is the eighth member of the Sharif family to be summoned by the JIT.

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ISLAMABAD: While there is much media hype surrounding the report the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) will submit on alleged money laundering by the Sharif family on July 10, one thing is sure: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will be given an opportunity to defend himself in the Supreme Court.

The order the five-member SC bench passed in the Panama Papers case on April 20 is self-explanatory as an operative paragraph of the 547-page judgement says: ”...upon the receipt of the reports, periodic or final of the JIT, as the case may be, the matter of disqualification of respondent No.1 (Nawaz Sharif) shall be considered. If found necessary for passing an appropriate order in this behalf, respondent No.1 or any other person may be summoned and examined".

However, legal experts envisage different scenarios of the court proceedings after the JIT submits its report.

There is confusion over the forum where trial of the PM or any other person will be held in case the JIT comes up with tangible evidence against them.

The Supreme Court bench comprising Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, Justice Gulzar Ahmed, Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan, Justice Azmat Saeed Sheikh and Justice Ijazul Ahsan had directed the JIT to place the report before it after completing the investigation.

”The JIT shall complete the investigation and submit its final report before the said bench within a period of sixty days," the judgement said.

On sending a reference to the relevant forum for further proceedings, it said, ”the bench thereupon may pass appropriate order for filing of reference against respondent No.1 (Nawaz Sharif) or any other person having nexus with the crime if justified on the basis of the material thus brought on the record before it".

In the light of the apex court judgement, one can conclude that further proceedings against the Sharif family are very much connected with what the JIT may say in its report after a few days.

Renowned legal expert S.M. Zafar said that since the JIT was a ‘fact-collection' entity, it would submit the compilation of facts to the apex court.

The Supreme Court, through the terms of references, had tasked the JIT with collecting evidence and, therefore, the investigation team must stick to its assignment only, he said. Should the JIT give an opinion, it would be tantamount to going beyond its mandate as its opinion might favour one or affect another party, he added.

He said that since two members of the five-member bench had already disclosed their mind by calling for disqualification of the PM, it was not likely that they would resume the bench. Subsequently, the three other members might take up the report and proceed with the case, he added.

Mr Zafar said that the court might provide copies of the investigation report to the petitioners and the respondents and invite their comments or objections.

After hearing the parties in the case, the court might pass a final verdict on disqualification of Mr Sharif or other persons, he said. The court may either disqualify the PM or exonerate him or send a reference against him to an appropriate forum.

The appropriate forum might be an accountability court or the special judge central, he said.

In case the Supreme Court, on the basis of available material, found that the PM was not honest and sagacious, it might disqualify him or send the matter to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

Earlier, former chief justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry had sent several parliamentarians home for contesting elections on the basis of fake degrees.

A senior official of the ECP said that the fake degree holders were sent home under section 78 of Representation of Peoples Act, which imposed three-year jail term and fine on a lawmaker for filing fake a statement before the ECP.

But the case of the PM was different as he had not submitted any false declaration before the ECP, therefore, the apex court might consider his case under Article 62 and 63 of the constitution, he said.

Kamran Murtaza, former president of the Supreme Court Bar Association, said that the JIT was formed under the order of the Supreme Court and, therefore, the court had regulated its proceedings and would also examine its report.

He said that the court would provide an opportunity of hearing to the parties, particularly those who might be affected by the investigation report. ”It may order to make the report open at least for the parties in the case and then start hearing the matter," he said.

Mr Murtaza was of the view that the apex court could not disqualify Mr Sharif as it would be against the principle of natural justice.

On the composition of the bench, he said that should the two members of the bench, on the basis of earlier dissenting note, recuse themselves from hearing the case, the chief justice might re-constitute the bench.

”If some respondents file an application seeking a large bench, the same bench would pass an order on the application," he said. ”The application may be forwarded to the CJP for appropriate order or may be dismissed by the bench".

Former vice chairman of the Pakistan Bar Council Mohammad Ramzan Chaudhry said that the five-member bench had requested Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar to constitute a special bench to ensure implementation of the judgement. The chief justice could have constituted a bench comprising judges other than those who were in the five- member bench, but he formed the special bench comprising three judges of the same bench.

Mr Chaudhry said that the implementation bench would place the JIT report before the five-member bench, which might re-consider the case on the basis of the JIT report and the evidence already available with the bench.

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Poetic.Injustice said:

Possibilities on what will happen on July 10th:




https://www.dawn.com/news/1343746/jit-report-may-not-be-last-word-on-pms-fate

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bwakh said:

So it is likely that further investigations and proceedings will take place and the issue will be dragged on more?

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Some legal experts believe that the JIT is acting on the directives of the Supreme Court which had, on May 29, asked the JIT to disregard the Qatari prince’s letter if he did not appear in person before them. The investigating body has sent him at least two letters, requesting him to personally appear to record his statement.

Former senior law officer Shah Khawar believes that the JIT is not bound to visit Al-Thani’s residence under the law. Likewise, it was the duty of the ruling family to bring their witness before the JIT.“If the prince does not come to verify the contents of his letters, it will be established that his communication [letters] to the top court of the country is just a myth,” Khawar opines. However, the ruling family’s legal team that was part of the hearings in the Supreme Court believes that the family could use it to their huge advantage if the JIT is unable to record statement of his main witness.Legal eagles think that the JIT may again seek guidance over the elusive Al-Thani testimony from the apex court which has the authority to extend the time and allow the JIT to visit at his palace in this regard.

A senior official believes that it will be interesting to see whether the court allows the Sharif family to submit their objections to the final JIT report, adding that if the court allows the respondents, then it will be a huge benefit for them. “Both the sides are smartly playing their cards,” says the official.
The five-judge larger bench of the apex court had observed in its April 20 verdict that after the receipt of the final report from the inquiry panel, the matter of the PM’s disqualification shall be considered.

“If found necessary for passing an appropriate order in this behalf, respondent No 1 [PM Nawaz] or any other person may be summoned and examined,” said the order.It is learnt that the legal team of the Sharif family may raise objection to the implementation bench and make a request for the constitution of a larger bench for giving a final verdict in the Panamagate case. However, their legal team will evolve a final strategy after going through the final JIT report.

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ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif after a detailed brainstorming session with his political and legal aides on the conduct of the joint investigation team (JIT) probing the Panama Papers case, has decided to challenge the findings of the probe body in both legal and political arenas.

A consultative meeting of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) held under the chair of the prime minister discussed the legal and political implications of the JIT, which would likely be submitting its findings to the apex court on July 10th. Federal Minister for Law Zahid Hamid briefed the participants on the possible findings of the JIT and the legal position the party could take especially if the findings would come against the prime minister and his family members.

Sources in the party informed The Nation that in case of some negative report against the prime minister the legal team of the prime minister would challenge it and could even pray for constitution of a larger bench to hear their concerns and objections on the conduct of the JIT. The party would try to drag the matter in a legal battle and would not only point out the flaws and lacunae in the report but would also challenge the very basis of the constitution of the JIT, which some of the legal experts saw as contrary to the prevalent legal system.


On the political front it was decided that the party would take the matter to the people’s court and would exhibit street power to keep popular support intact. In this connection, the party had already started work and the party leaders had already started questioning the conduct of the JIT and its biased treatment of the prime minister and his family members.

Sources further informed The Nation that in case the JIT would come up with some negative findings and recommendations against the Sharif family they would challenge it in the court, while a political campaign would also be launched and in this connection the party would hold large public gatherings in the length and breadth of the country to show their popular support. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and almost all the frontline leaders of the party had started grilling the JIT and have started equating it proceedings to an attempt to derailing the political dispensation and creating hurdles in the way of economic progress.

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The federal government on Saturday put preconditions to the report of the Joint Investigation Team (JIT), with key ministers saying that the government would not accept the JIT report if the investigators didn’t record a statement by a Qatari royal.

They also demanded of the court to make public all the video/audio recordings of the JIT proceedings so as the people could take a decision on their own. The demands were made by four key federal ministers including Khwaja Mohammed Asif, Khwaja Saad Rafique, Ahsan Iqbal and Shahid Khaqan Abbasi while addressing a press conference here after a detailed meeting held at the Prime Minister’s House.

Khwaja Asif said that the government would reject the JIT report if the statement of the Qatari royal was not recorded and made part of the report. Though Saad Rafique and Ahsan Iqbal made veiled attacks on the judiciary and the military establishment, Asif said the government did not want to drag the military and the intelligence agency into a political mess.

“There is no role of the military and the intelligence agencies in political matters. They are securing our borders and rendering sacrifices and we have full cognizance of their sacrifices. It’s inappropriate to drag them into a political mess,” he added. He said that it would be a compromised report if evidence of the Qatari royal was not made part of the report.

“It would be a fixed fight. We wonder why JIT is reluctant to record the statement of the royal,” he questioned and added that if Mark Siegel’s statement could be recorded in the US regarding Benazir Bhutto’s case, why the recording of the statement of the prince was being avoided. “It would be a sheer injustice which is unacceptable for us,” he argued.

Asif said that the judiciary had given immunity to Iftikhar Chaudhry, a former chief justice. “In Arsalan Iftikhar case, Arsalan was summoned but his father was not. Instances of prophets were quoted to justify immunity to the then chief justice. We are politicians and we don’t seek immunity,” he added.

He also made a demand that the video and audio recordings of the JIT proceedings should be made public for consumption of 200 million people which constitute the biggest court of the country. “The nation has right to know what questions were asked to the prime minister and his family and what were their answers,” he said.

“Rather than censoring the proceedings of the JIT, the same should be made public and (the court) should direct mass proliferation through TVs and CDs,” he added. Asif also questioned the opening of the Panama case, saying that the original jurisdiction of the (Panama) case was the countries where the offshore companies of Nescol, Neilson and the flagship investments had been registered.

“While there is not a single case registered, why the matter is being investigated in Pakistan,” he argued and said that Godfather and Sicilian Mafias don’t wage the struggle for independence of the judiciary. Saad said that despite the fact that the ruling party had reservations over the inclusion of two members of the intelligence agencies and the ministers had advised the prime minister that civilian intelligence agencies could have been included in the JIT.

“It is a fact that we had reservations over the inclusion of intelligence agencies’ representatives but the prime minister went ahead as he wanted to avoid any situation,” he told the journalists. He further said that the government also had reservations against two members of the JIT but it decided to go ahead with its submissions before the investigators.

He said that Amir Aziz, a member of the JIT, had been involved in the investigation in the National Accountability Bureau against Sharif family under the tenure of General Pervez Musharraf. “Bilal Rasool, another JIT member from SECP, is a close relative of Mian Azhar and his wife was in the PML-Q and now she is a member of the PTI,” he pointed out.

He said that the JIT has misbehaved with Tariq Shafi and Saeed Ahmed, the president of NBP, while they were making statements before the JIT. He said that the phone tapping of a conversation between Tariq Shafi and Haroon Pasha also was illegal when Shafi had visited the Prime Minister’s House. Under what law have they been tapping phones of PM’s House as reported by JIT in its provisional report, he questioned.

“Which law provides the recording of phones of civilians other than terrorists,” he argued. The minister made it clear that the government had no intention of confrontation with the court and they don’t want to take the country towards disorder. However, he said that the institutions must respect the parliament and the elected government.

Referring to the remarks of Godfather and Sicilian mafia, Saad said that the government observed restraint despite legal advice to move court. “We were informed that FIA would lead the JIT but a news item has appeared claiming that an intelligence agency was leading the JIT which has yet not been contradicted. We have not been shared with this development. We don’t see justice being done,” he said.

Ahsan Iqbal came down hard over Imran Khan, saying that the PTI chief had been making successive attempts to come into power through backdoor but said the PML-N would foil all such attempts as it had done in the past. “From day one, Imran Khan has been conspiring against the public mandate of PML-N,” he pointed out.

“The way prime minister, the finance minister, PM’s daughter, sons and other relatives were summoned defamed the state. A petition which had been termed frivolous in the past is being used to come into power through a backdoor,” he asserted. He said those calling Godfather and Sicilian Mafia should tell whether courts and JIT’s can function under godfather rule?

Shahid Khaqan said the prime minister could have sought immunity under the law from the JIT but he preferred to face justice. He said that the daughter of the prime minister and his sons and relatives also faced the JIT questioning. He said that all the proceedings of the JIT should be made public so as facts could be brought before the masses. He made it clear that the ruling party was not afraid of its accountability but it wanted equal and fair judicial process.

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PML-N minister Khawaja Asif flanked by Khawaja Saad Rafique, Ahsan Iqbal and Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said on Saturday that if the Qatari royal was not included in the investigation then the JIT’s report will not be accepted. They also asked the probe body to make all the audio video recordings public.

Pakistan Today reached out to leading lawyers of the country and asked about the legal implications of PML-N presser on JIT and its submission of final report on Monday.

Former SCBA president Barrister Ali Zafar was of the view that the ministers’ conference has certainly attacked the JIT and also indirectly and partially challenged the Supreme Court decision. ‘It seems to be a reaction rather than based on any legal expediency and I think no substantial legal defense has been put forward by them,’ he said.

When asked will the press conference affect in any way the Monday hearing in Supreme Court, Ali said that JIT may have finalised its report by now, so this was not going to affect that report. ‘It seems that the JIT report will be against the ruling family and that is why they held such a reactionary sort of conference. Barrister Ali, when asked whether some part of the press conference was tantamount to contempt of court, said that some parts certainly felt as if they planned to defy the court.

Ali ruled out any contempt action as he believed Supreme Court realised that it was a political case and a political parties needed to appease their voters as well.

Notable criminal lawyer and Pakistan Bar Council Member Supreme Court Azam Nazeer Tarar advocate was of the view that there was no legal implication of press conference by PML-N ministers. ‘Joint Investigation Team is a wholly legal affair and will not be affected by such statements. The court is all powerful to preside over this,’ he said. Tarar ruled that it was about time that we would have matured, ‘such things prove that our legal system hasn’t matured. As a mature system wouldn’t have cared for such careless statements,’ he said.

When asked the JIT will submit its report on Monday as usual, Tarar replied that the goddess of justice was blind and did not differentiate. ‘The cases are decided in technicalities, not moralities. The court will decide as per the record before it and not by the vague notions of right and wrong,’ he concluded.

Interestingly, the statement by Khawaja Asif is a complete U-turn from the plea entered by Khwaja Haris advocate, counsel of Hussain Nawaz Sharif on June 12, 2017 when JIT submitted its second fortnightly report before the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

When the petitioner’s counsel objected to the recording of JIT proceedings, the bench observed that there was no bar on recording proceedings, adding that video recording was also carried out to produce transcripts.

Barrister Ali Zafar, former President SCBA has said that the allegations, complaints by four ministers have no legal status as of now. ‘However, if the Supreme Court wants to take them up, it can hear them,’ he said.

PPP leader Aitzaz Ahsan was of the view that the four ministers in their presser were not pressure tactics or aimed to threaten opposition or JIT. ‘With their statements they’ve directly attacked the Supreme Court’.

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ISLAMABAD:
In a major development, a Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) team has found the chairman of the Securities & Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) guilty of tampering records of the companies owned by the Sharif family, and recommended registration of an FIR against him.

On June 19, a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court – headed by Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan – had directed the FIA director general to launch an inquiry into the allegations by the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) that the SECP had tampered with the records of the Sharifs’ companies.

Subsequently, the top court had constituted a four-member FIA team to probe into the allegations. On Saturday, the team submitted, in the apex court, a 28-page report in which it endorsed the JIT’s stance regarding record-tampering. A copy of the report is available with The Express Tribune.

Sources told this correspondent that the FIA team had found SECP Chairman Zafar Hijazi guilty of “misconduct by passing illegal orders and pressuring his subordinates to do illegal acts, therefore a criminal case under Sections 466, 472 PPC read with 5 (2) PCA 1947 be registered against him”.

The FIA team is also learnt to have recommended that two senior SECP officials — Ali Azeem and Maheen Fatima — who had complied with the illegal orders have been found negligent; therefore, departmental proceedings be initiated against these ‘irresponsible officers’.

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ISLAMABAD: The Joint Investigation Team probing allegations of financial impropriety against the Sharif family has obtained crucial evidence from different countries revealing the actual money trail of Sharif family's assets, sources told ARY News on Saturday.

According to ARY News correspondent Sabir Shakir, the JIT has collected a lot of evidence from its visits to Dubai, London and Qatar which will clearly show from where the money flew into Sharif family's accounts and was invested in properties rendering the Qatari Royal's letters useless.

Sabir Shakir added that JIT is making the said evidence a part of its report which it will submit to the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

It is pertinent to mention here that last month, the special bench of the Supreme Court had directed the JIT to submit its final report on July 10. Earlier in the day, PML-N ministers criticised the JIT in an hours-long press conference.

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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has decided not to accept the minus-one formula in case the disqualification of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif emerges out of the JIT report. The party leadership has decided to take other political parties into confidence over a ”conspiracy brewing" against the prime minister.

A well-placed source in the ruling party told Pakistan Today that the party leadership feels that a conspiracy is being targeted at the prime minister for ulterior motives but the party would fight out to defeat any such plan.

”You know this is not the first time that a minus-one formula has emerged. It was against Benazir Bhutto, Asif Zardari, Altaf Hussain and now Nawaz Sharif. Some powers want to expel all top politicians so they could play around with minnows," the source added.

”We have sufficient evidence to ascertain the fact that a conspiracy is being hatched. First, a WhatsApp call was detected to include specific persons into the JIT. Then evidence came to the fore to prove that the JIT members only sign the investigation papers and that the original investigation is being done somewhere else. Then there is evidence suggesting that ISI was managing the security of the JIT proceedings. All these facts were never contradicted or challenged," the source said.

The source said that the ruling party has devised a political strategy to thwart the game plan against the prime minister.

Asked to elaborate the political strategy, the source said that the ruling party would directly attack those who are playing a role in the plan against Sharif.

”We will directly target the JIT members; those judges who used terms like Sicilian Mafia and Godfather and the elements in the establishment who want to throw the PM out," the source said.

Asked to elaborate more, the source said that as the biggest political party of the country, the PML-N wants to mobilise its workers so they could not be isolated and disappointed.

”We would discredit those JIT members who have targeted the premier. Since we don't expect justice from them, we would discredit them. Moreover, we would also target the establishment too," he added.

He said that the ruling party's legal team would raise technical questions to discredit those who have been targeting the prime minister.

Meanwhile, PM Nawaz Sharif was briefed on Sunday about the possible legal scenarios following the Joint Investigation Team's submission of a report to the three-member Supreme Court bench today.

A well-placed source told Pakistan Today that the meeting covered all possible angles of the report while the legal team, led by lead counsel, Khawaja Haris also detailed the available legal options with the PM and his family.

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KarneeKarnay said:

Is the PM safe then? Reading the article, it appears as if he and his family skirted around the investigation, played on technicalities and some very nice conveniences.

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ISLAMABAD:
Members of the high-powered Joint Investigation Team (JIT), tasked to probe Sharif family's offshore assets in line with Supreme Court's April 20 verdict in Panamagate case, submitted on Monday its fourth and final report to the apex court.

After examining the findings of the inquiry panel, the top court allowed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan, the petitioner in the case, and members of the ruling family, respondents in the case, to obtain copy of the report from the apex court's registrar office.

However, JIT head Wajid Zia requested the bench not to public one volume of the report related to mutual assistance.

Directing the counsels of both sides to appear in the court on July 17 (Monday) for further hearing, the three-judge implementation bench of the apex court directed the government to continue providing security to the JIT members until further orders.

Likewise, the bench ordered that no action will be taken against members of the probe body without informing the apex court.

During Monday's hearing, the bench took strong exception over misreporting about the Panamagate JIT by the Jang Group.

Issuing contempt notices to the media group's owner Mir Shakeelur Rehman, his brother Javedur Rehman and reporter Ahmad Noorani over false reporting, the court asked why it should not start proceedings against them under Article 204 of the Constitution.

”Misreporting is evident from the news," Justice Ijazul Ahsen observed.

The bench has summoned the transcript of the speeches of Railways Minister Saad Rafiq, Senator Nihal Hashmi and Asif Karmani regarding the conduct of JIT. It also sought complete detail of advertisements given by the government to different media groups.

Meanwhile, the bench ordered registration of an FIR against Zafar Hijazi, chairman of the Securities & Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), for his alleged involvement in tampering records of the companies owned by the ruling family.

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