Ishaq Dar, Hassan Nawaz to appear before Panama JIT today

ISLAMABAD: In the last week of mandated time of the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) constituted by the Supreme Court to probe the PanamaLeaks scandal it will start a new round of questioning from Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s children from today (Monday).

The JIT has summoned the premier’s children -- Hussain Nawaz for the sixth time, Hassan Nawaz for the third time and Maryam Nawaz for the first time -- to appear before it on July 3 (today), July 4 and July 5, respectively.

Tariq Shafi, cousin of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, appeared before the JIT on Sunday where he was interrogated for three hours due to his deep business ties with the Sharif family in the last many decades, sources told The News.

The premier's cousin, who appeared before the probe body for the second time, was driven into the JIT Secretariat by Minister of State for Water and Power Abid Sher Ali. Earlier, he was questioned by the JIT on May 15 for around 12 hours.

After the first appearance, Tariq Shafi accused the members of probe body of harassment and filed a formal complaint with the JIT chief Wajid Zia. In the letter, his lawyer stated that a JIT member threatened his client of serious consequences if he never withdrew the affidavits submitted by him in the Supreme Court.

Talking to media briefly after his appearance before the JIT, Tariq Shafi said the JIT members asked him questions about establishment of Gulf Steel Mills and the proceeds used for this purpose and he provided answers to all their questions.

"I have not been summoned by the JIT again, and I have provided no new documents to the probe team," he said. When he was asked about the behaviour of the JIT members during the interrogation, he made no comments and avoided to answer the question. 

The sources said Tariq Shafi was re-examined over his statements recorded during his earlier appearance before the probe body on various issues including Hudaibiya Paper Mills; his legal ownership of all the businesses of the Sharif family in Dubai; bank record of sale of Ahli Steel Mills that generated 12 million dirhams that the Sharif family later invested in real estate business with the Qatari royal family; role of Shahbaz Sharif as authorised representative in this deal; and acquisition of piece of land measuring one million squares for 20 years in 1974 in his tender age.

"Tariq Shafi, who brought with him the copy of the affidavits that he submitted in the Supreme Court, read out its many parts and maintained that what he has stated in his affidavits submitted to the Supreme Court on Nov 12, 2016 and Jan 20, 2017 was correct and authentic," the sources said. 

The sources said the JIT members asked him why late Mian Muhammad Sharif, instead of his sons, made him the legal owner of the businesses of the Sharif family in Dubai despite the fact that when it was done he was only 19 years old.

They said Tariq Shafi confirmed to the JIT members that his name was mentioned as the legal owner in all the official documents, business transactions and agreements with different business parties in Dubai. 

When asked about the money used to set up the steel business in Dubai by the Sharif family, he said no money was transferred from Pakistan for this purpose because all the finances were generated from loans obtained from the Bank of Commerce and Credit International.

The sources said Tariq Shafi was also asked about the business ventures of the Sharif family in Pakistan, especially Hudaibiya Paper Mills and Chaudhry Sugar Mills, adding, "he was also asked questions about alleged money laundering through the Hudaibiya Paper Mills." 

Meanwhile, the JIT issued summons to Finance Minister Ishaq Dar for his personal appearance before the probe body today (Monday) and directed him to bring relevant documents, especially in the context of the Hudaibiya Paper Mills.Sources told The News that the decision to summon Ishaq Dar was taken in the light of the statements so far given by the witnesses related to alleged money laundering through the Hudaibiya Paper Mills. “Ishaq Dar will submit the relevant record related to Hudaibiya Paper Mills before the JIT. He will also record his statement that will have high legal value because he made a confessional statement before a magistrate on April 4, 2000 in which he alleged that the Sharif family used the Hudaibiya Paper Mills for money laundering in 1990s," the sources said. Meanwhile, Ishaq Dar summoned FBR officials to office early in the morning for preparation of appearance before the JIT.