Nawaz asked to bring relevant documents; consultative meeting held in Jati Umra; lawyers give briefing
ISLAMABAD: The Joint Investigation Team (JIT), constituted by the Supreme Court (SC) to probe the allegations of money laundering, tax evasion and making of properties abroad by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his family, issued summons to the prime minister to appear before it on June 15, 2017 (Thursday), the PM House confirmed on Sunday, according to Geo News.
The PM House, in a statement issued to the media, confirmed having received the summons from the JIT and said the prime minister would appear before it on June 15. The investigation team asked the prime minister to come to the Federal Judicial Academy at 11:30am on Thursday, along with relative documents, according to the letter forwarded to the PM House by the JIT.
The JIT probing the global financial dealings of the prime minister's family has recently been mired in controversy, with subjects of the investigation accusing it of being biased. Recently, the JIT, headed by Additional Director Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Wajid Zia, informed the Supreme Court's Panama Case Implementation Bench about the 'hurdles' being faced by it.
The apex court reiterated that the high-profile probe team would not be given more than the 60-day time-frame to wrap up the investigation in the light of the April 20 Supreme Court judgment in the Panama case.
Earlier in the day, PM Sharif presided over a key consultation meeting in Jati Umrah, which pondered over the proceedings of the JIT. The prime minister was briefed by his team of lawyers and legal experts in the meeting.
The sources further said that the legal experts also apprised the prime minister of appearances of his sons, Hussain Nawaz and Hassan Nawaz, and the petitions filed by Saeed Ahmed.
The PM had already assured of his full cooperation pertaining to the Panama case, so that the matter ongoing for one-and-a-half years could reach a conclusion. His son, Hussain Nawaz, had appeared five times before the JIT, while Hassan Nawaz had appeared twice.
APP adds: Minister of State for Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage Marriyum Aurangzeb, talking to different TV channels Sunday, confirmed that the prime minister received the summons for appearing before the JIT on June 15, 2017 and in pursuance of the Supreme Court's order of April 20, he would ensure his presence accordingly, adding that a new history was being written in Pakistan by his decision in this regard.
She said that his decision was a practical demonstration for his respect for law and the Constitution. The minister said that he made this decision due to the trust of the people and unlike other did not try to find excuses to avoid the process.
She said that Imran Khan and opposition had been politicking on the issue, claiming that the prime minister and his family members would never appear before the JIT. The minister said that the appearance of the prime minister before the JIT would set all such conspiracies at rest.
She said that from the very first day the prime minister had shown his willingness to present himself for accountability and had also written to the chief justice of Pakistan for initiation of a probe into the PanamaLeaks. She observed that despite reservations of the Sharif family about the JIT, the prime minister had directed his non-resident sons to adhere to the law of the land and assist the Supreme Court.
She said Sharif family had been running their businesses since 60's when Nawaz Sharif held no public office and the relevant record of their financial transactions was available with Federal Board of Revenue.