ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali has remarked if FBR (Federal Board of Revenue), FIA (Federal Investigative Agency) and NAB (National Accountability Bureau) are unable to perform their duties, why not close them.
During the hearing of Panama Leaks case on today (Tuesday), Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali said, “FBR,NAB ad FIA did not play their part and if state institutions fail to play their due role, they should rather be shut down.”
A five-member bench headed by the chief justice, resumed the hearing of Panama Case in packed Court Room No. 1.
The CJ opined that all options are open, “if we come to the conclusion that a commission is needed for a just probe, we will constitute one.”
PTI lawyer, Naeem Bukhari, continued his arguments against the Sharif Family contention that they bought flats in 2006.
The Sharif Family pleaded the court to hear the case on day-to-day basis as it is a matter of utmost importance.
The Supreme Court asked three questions from Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s lawyer during hearing of the Panama Leaks case.
During his arguments, PM’s lawyer Salman Aslam Butt said there was a failure to provide evidence from the petitioners regarding the companies being formed illegally. This led to Justice Asif Saeed Khosa asking the following questions:
- How did the prime minister’s children form the companies?
- Explain the issue of dependency
- Were the prime minister’s speeches true or not?
A five member bench headed by Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali resumed hearing of the Panama Leaks case today (Tuesday) on petitions by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and other parties. The court adjourned the session till December 7 (tomorrow).
During proceedings, Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali said the court has kept its options open. “We will form a commission if we feel the need to.”
The chief justice added that the FBR and FIA have not done their job. “If these institutions do not want to work, why not close them,” he said.
Children of the Sharif family submitted a petition in the Supreme Court requesting for hearing on a daily basis. “The issue is very critical and the work of institutions is getting affected,” the petition stated.
Speaking to the media outside the Supreme Court Awami Muslim League chief Sheikh Rasheed said that the government is very nervous. “It is submitting new documents everyday. We will accept whatever decision the court takes,” he said.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman Imran Khan said that he has reached the court to hear “what stories the liars have to tell”.
Imran Khan’s lawyer Naeem Bukhari drew the court’s attention towards Maryam Nawaz as dependent of Nawaz Sharif.
“I have evidence to prove that Maryam Nawaz is dependent on the Prime Minister,” Bukhari said. “Where has the Prime Minister written in his tax files that Maryam Nawaz is his dependent?” the Supreme Court remarked in the case.
Naeem Bukhari said that in his first speech the Prime Minister never gave a date on which his mills based in Saudi Arabia were sold.
“How were the London flats bought?” Bukhari asked, “Were they bought after selling the Dubai mill or the Jeddah mill?”
Hussain Nawaz had said that he bought the London flats through investments from Qatar, Bukhari argued. There are discrepancies in the Prime Minister’s speech and his children’s statements, Bukhari added.
To this Justice Azmat Saeed directed him to not repeat his old arguments.
The Chief Justice added that Bukhari had only 35 more minutes to present his argument.
Bukhari said that the Prime Minister had evaded taxes. “Between 2014 and 2015 received Rs740 million as gift from Hussain Nawaz. The Prime Minister did not give tax on these gifts,” he said.
Justice Azmat Saeed said that the court will have to see how the law defines ‘dependents’.
Speaking to the journalists outside the Supreme Court, PTI spokesman for the Panama Leaks case Fawad Chaudhry said that they had submitted evidence to prove the Maryam Nawaz was dependent on the Prime Minister.
“She has filed zero tax returns. Her electricity bill is zero. She has zero expenses for her children’s education. Her telephone bill is zero. He travelling expense exceeds her income,” Fawad Chaudhry said.
He added that her traveling expense for two years is worth is Rs3.6 million.
In 2006, he added, Maryam Bibi received a used BMW car in a gift scheme. “Now they are saying that over Rs 10 million in profit were received by Maryam through the BMW,” he added.
“How is this possible?” he asked. “Maybe the Sharifs have a hen which lays golden eggs.”
Under the supervision of Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali, it would be the eighth hearing on Panama Leaks case. Up till now PM Nawaz and his children; Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Nawaz and Maryam Nawaz have filed their official response on offshore companies and their flats in London.
Meanwhile, there has been a change in legal team of Pakistan Tehreek Insaf, the legal panel of the opposition party now is headed by Naeem Bukhari. Senior lawyer Hamid Khan excused himself from the case, due to ‘media pressure’.
In the last hearing, Supreme Court asked Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to elaborate about the businesses owned by the Sharif family saying the court cannot review political statement, nor can it announce a verdict on the basis of news reports.
The bench asked PTI counsel to elaborate as to wherefrom the capital for Jeddah steel mill came and how was the money transferred to London. The judges told the PTI attorney if Sharif family’s link with offshore companies prior to 2006 is established then the entire burden would be shifted on them (Sharifs).”We cannot review political statements and if a verdict was announced on the basis of news reports then your client may also have to face difficulty,” the judges said.
“We cannot review political statements and if a verdict was announced on the basis of news reports then your client may also have to face difficulty,” the judges said.
