Pakistani SC dismisses PM's son's reservations regarding JIT

The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Monday dismissed Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's son Hussain Nawaz's reservations regarding two members of the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) formed to probe the Panama Papers case.

Hussain in an application filed to the country's apex court had raised objections against Bilal Rasool of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) and Amer Aziz of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), Dawn online reported.

The Prime Minister's son had expressed apprehensions that the officials' presence may affect the fairness and impartiality of the JIT and its findings.

Hussain said Rasool is a nephew of Mian Mohammad Azhar, whose family are ardent Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporters, and Aziz was part of a National Accountability Bureau investigation that was carried out into the Hudabiya Paper Mills scam under former President Pervez Musharraf.

 

Hussain's counsel Khawaja Haris during the hearing argued that the behaviour of the two JIT members was "abusive".

However, Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan, who headed the three-judge bench, dismissed the accusation and ordered the JIT to continue with its proceedings and operate within its jurisdiction.

Another judge observed that the two members of the JIT "targeted" by Hussain were experts in white-collar crime.

"We will not change any members of the JIT, nor will we prevent someone from doing their work," he said, drawing attention to the fact that a special bench of the SC had appointed the members of the JIT.

Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Additional Director General Wajid Zia, who heads the JIT, told the bench that Qatari royal Hamad Bin Jassim Bin Jaber Al-Thani had not yet appeared before the JIT.

Two letters signed by the Qatari royal had been presented before the court by representatives of the Prime Minister's children during the hearing.

Justice Afzal said that the letters would be thrown out if the Qatari royal did not appear before the JIT.

The JIT had on May 28 grilled Hussain Nawaz for about two-and-a-half hours regarding his ownership of the London flats.

--IANS

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