Panamagate JIT head submits documents against Sharif family's 'corruption' before NAB

The Joint Investigation Team chief Wajid Zia, tasked with investigating money-laundering allegations against the Sharif family in the Panama Papers case, has appeared before the National Accountability Bureau Lahore as a witness and submitted documents regarding Sharif family's 'corruption'.

Zia has recorded his statement before the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Rawalpindi on Tuesday regarding Sharif family and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar.References against Sharif family and Ishaq Dar will be lodged by NAB in the accountability court by September 10.

Although anti-corruption watchdog NAB did not officially provide details of the meeting to the media, a source said that Mr Zia recorded his statement before the NAB Rawalpindi.One of the references is regarding Al-Azizia Steel Mill, while the other two relate to the London flats and 16 offshore companies, owned by the Sharif family. One reference will also be filed against Finance Minister Ishaq Dar.

According to reports, NAB (Lahore and Rawalpindi) will finalise the references against the Sharif family by August 31. The references will be sent to the NAB headquarters, where the board will scrutinise them from Sept 1-7.

Sources said that after the Sharif family's refusal to record statements before NAB, it was decided that all statements made before the JIT would be used by the bureau in the four references that were to be filed in accountability courts, in line with the Supreme Court orders, the Dawn reported.

During his meeting with NAB investigators, Zia provided verified statements of Nawaz Sharif, his children Maryam, Hussain and Hassan, as well as Finance Minister Ishaq Dar.

Earlier, Justice Ijazul Ahsan of the Supreme Court, who is overseeing the NAB proceedings against the Sharif family, had allowed investigators to record statements of JIT members who had investigated the Panama Papers case.

The Supreme Court on July 28 disqualified Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif from holding public office and ordered an accountability court to open references against him and his family, and other respondents.