18
ISLAMABAD: Maryam Nawaz Sharif, the daughter of the prime minister, will appear before the joint investigation team (JIT) probing money laundering allegations against the Sharif family on Wednesday (today).
Although the ruling party has been adamant that summoning her was an “egoistic decision” on the part of the JIT, Ms Sharif expressed her resolve to face investigators in a series of messages sent from her Twitter account on Tuesday night.
“He has seen [and] been through the most testing times, in the 30-plus years of his political career… yet as an affectionate [and] protective father, I saw his eyes filled with concern & apprehensions over his daughter’s appearance before JIT,” she tweeted.
Kirmani stresses importance of Qatari prince’s statement; confusion prevails over JIT members’ Gulf trip
“I told him that I am your daughter, trained by you, [and] will neither cower down, nor yield to pressure [and] nothing will deter me from taking up the cudgels against transgression and injustice. Will appear before the JIT, follow the rule of law as you always have,” Ms Sharif tweeted, before concluding on a positive note: “See you tomorrow, Insha’Allah.”
Ms Sharif, who has been summoned at 11am, will be the eighth member of her family summoned so far in connection with the ongoing investigation into money laundering allegations.
The JIT has repeatedly questioned her brothers Hussain and Hassan, while it has also recorded the statements of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, his brother Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, the PM’s son-in-law retired Captain Mohammad Safdar, the PM’s cousin Tariq Shafi, and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar — the father-in-law of the PM’s younger daughter.
Although her name appeared in the Panama Papers as the beneficial owner of the offshore companies — Neilsen Enterprises and Nescoll Ltd — which owned the four Park Lane apartments at the heart of the Supreme Court case, Ms Sharif was virtually cleared by the apex court in the Panama Papers controversy.
The court stated that the PM’s daughter “has received cash gifts from her father in substantial amounts on various occasions … receipt of gifts from the father does not necessarily make respondent No.6 (Maryam) his (Nawaz Sharif’s) dependent in the legal sense of the word”.
Members of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) women’s wing, who were on hand on Tuesday for Hussain Nawaz’s appearance at the Federal Judicial Academy (FJA), are also expected to turn out in full force today to support Ms Sharif.
Qatari connection
With just five days remaining before the JIT submits its final report to the Supreme Court, PML-N leaders again stressed the need to record the statement of Qatari prince Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al-Thani.
The former Qatari prime minister’s letter to the apex court was the main component of the money trail offered by the Sharif family for the purchase of the London properties.
While Hussain Nawaz was being grilled by investigators inside the FJA, PML-N leaders Asif Kirmani and Talal Chaudhry criticised the investigation team for its ‘unfair treatment’ of the Sharif family.
Talking to reporters, Mr Kirmani said: “The inquiry report would not be complete or credible unless the statement of the Qatari prince, who is a key defence witness in the case, is not included.”
Mr Chaudhry also cast aspersions of the JIT, saying that it was deliberately avoiding taking the Qatari prince’s statement in a bid to prove correct the “concocted” money trail detailed in Ishaq Dar’s forced confession.
According to the PM’s special assistant, the Qatari prince had asked the JIT to send him a questionnaire, adding: “Regretfully, the JIT rejected the offer and refused to send him the questionnaire in writing.”
JIT members’ Gulf trip
Also on Tuesday, two members of the JIT — Irfan Naeem Mangi of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and retired Brig Kamran Rasheed of Military Intelligence — proceeded to the Gulf in connection with their official duties.
There was some confusion over whether the team had gone to Qatar or the UAE. Though it was reported that the two men had flown to Doha, sources privy to the development said the two men had flown to Dubai on an Emirates airline flight.
There, sources said, the JIT members would verify the details submitted by Hussain Nawaz and Tariq Shafi with regard to the establishment and sale of the Gulf Steel Mills.
Since they are supposed to return on Wednesday evening, the sources said it might not be possible for them to visit Qatar to record Prince Hamad’s statement.
Hussain’s appearance
On Tuesday, the PM’s elder son also appeared before the JIT for the sixth time.
“The JIT could have finished questioning me in two sessions; there was no need to summon me six times,” he told reporters after he was questioned.
In all, the JIT has examined Hussain for about 30 hours since his first appearance on May 28.
Hussain alleged that the JIT had tried to apply unfair means to make a false case against his family and had asked certain persons to become approvers.
The JIT will also question incumbent National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman Chaudhry Qamar Zaman today (Wednesday) at 2pm.
Published in Dawn, July 5th, 2017
