Panama leak: Nawaz Sharifs plead innocence
Pakistan PM's children in top court deny holding any offshore companies
Islamabad: Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s children Maryam, Hassan and Hussain Nawaz submitted their written replies in the apex court on Monday in connection with the Panama leaks scandal. On Thursday, a five-member larger bench headed by Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali had given the premier’s children a “last chance” to submit their own statements to the court. In their written reply submitted by PM’s lawyer Salman Aslam Butt, Maryam, Hassan and Hussain Nawaz denied holding any offshore companies. “They are not public office-bearers. They are only trusties,” the lawyer said.
He said Maryam Nawaz has revealed details of all the assets and she regularly pays taxes. She is only ‘trustee’ of British Virgin Islands-based firms Nielsen Enterprises Limited and Nescoll Limited and she has not been a beneficiary of any offshore company. He said all the allegations levelled against Maryam Nawaz are baseless. Salman Butt further argued that no money was transferred to London to purchase properties.
Meanwhile, Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed asked about the date of purchase of London properties. The lawyer said all the details would be provided as per law. During the case proceeding, Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali said position of a ruler is always different from others. He said it was now up to Hussain Nawaz to prove that London properties were purchased legally. Subsequently, the Supreme Court ordered the lawyer to submit property documents till November 15. The bench will review all the documents itself before forming the commission to probe the matter.
Apparently it seems that the commission might not be needed for this issue. The apex court could choose an independent and neutral path, the CJ remarked. Chairman Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan and Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rashid Ahmed also attended the hearing. Minister of state for information and broadcasting Maryam Aurangzeb has expressed confidence that PM will get a clean chit in the Panama paper leak case.