After Nawaz, Hussain and Hassan, Shahbaz to appear before JIT today

ISLAMABAD: Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif would appear before the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) today (Saturday) for the first time and record his statement on the issues related to the Panama Leaks, especially the Hudaibya Paper Mills and Gulf Steel Mills, sources told The News here on Friday.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, his sons Hussain Nawaz and Hassan Nawaz have already appeared before the JIT.

"The JIT has prepared itself to probe the Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif with regard to the Hudaibya Paper Mills to get to know the authenticity of claims about alleged money laundering carried out through this business concern," the sources said.

They said Shahbaz Sharif would be asked about the businesses of his sons — Hamza Shahbaz and Salman Shahbaz -- and tax details of members of his family. 

They said the JIT members spent some time studying and reviewing the investigation reports, certified copies of the Hudaibya Paper Mills case and attested order sheets of the accountability court as well as copies of proceedings of the Lahore High Court (LHC).

The sources said Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif held extensive discussions with his lawyers in the Chief Minister's House in the last couple of days and compiled a set of documents that would be presented to the JIT.

"Shahbaz Sharif will also present the decisions of the court to the JIT in which the Sharif family was given a clean chit regarding allegations of money laundering through the Hudaibya Paper Mills," the sources said.

Shahbaz Sharif would also appear before the JIT without any protocol and no security escort would accompany him to the Federal Judicial Academy, the sources said.  Meanwhile, the sources said Qatari Prince Hamad bin Jassim Al Thani would not be available to the JIT for the next 10 days to record his statement.

"The initial contacts revealed that the Qatari Prince may ask the JIT to record his statement in Doha after Eid-ul-Fitr as he is too busy in the next 10 days," the sources said. According to the reports, Qatar’s former prime minister Prince Hamad bin Jassim Al-Thani has promised to provide all details of his businesses with the Sharif family if members of the JIT visit him in Doha.