ISLAMABAD – Hussain Nawaz, elder son of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, on Saturday made his fourth appearance before the joint investigation team, probing the business dealings of Shairf family under the Panama verdict announced by the Supreme Court.
The JIT has sought details regarding Mayfair flats, steel mills and other companies from the Nawaz, who would present the details today to the investigation body.
FIA Additional Director Wajid Zia is heading the investigation team comprising SBP officer Amer Aziz, SECP Executive Director Bilal Rasool, Balochistan NAB DG Irfan Naeem Mangi, intelligence officials retired Brig Nauman Saeed and Brig Kamran Khurshid.
Appearance Before JIT
For the first time, Hussain Nawaz appeared before the JIT on Sunday (May 28) at the federal judicial academy and faced a barrage of questions for over two hours.
He made his second appearance on Tuesday (May 30) where he was interrogated for hours. During the hearing, Hussain Nawaz was provided urgent medical care after his blood sugar level dropped following the hours-long interrogation.
For third time in five, Hussain Nawaz reached Federal Judicial Academy on Thursday (June 1) to appear before the probing team.
Hussain’s Views
Talking to media while leaving the judicial academy after second appearance, Hussain Nawaz said: “However, I decided to face the JIT and respond to all of their questions. I am confident that the investigation will prove our stance; that we have not done anything illegal,”
On third appearance, Nawaz said that he will appear before the investigation team whenever he will be called by the JIT.
“We have the same assets as we had during tenure of former president Pervez Musharraf,” Nawaz said, adding that fake cases were registered against them in Musharraf’s tenure.
Hassan Nawaz
PM’s younger son Hassan Nawaz on Friday (June 2) appeared before the JIT where he was grilled for seven hours.
Hassan Nawaz made appearance before the probing team after second notice. Earlier, he had been asked to appear on Wednesday (May 31) but he could not comply with the first notice. He had sought time for recording his statement due to legal complications.
Panama Verdict
The Supreme Court of Pakistan had announced the verdict of landmark Panama case on April 20, in which it ordered the formation of a Joint Investigation Team to probe offshore assets of Sharif family.
Representatives from Intra Services Intelligence, Military Intelligence, State Bank of Pakistan, Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan and National Accountability Bureau are part of the team headed by Wajid Zia of Federal Investigation Agency.
In its judgement, the Supreme Court had also outlined the scope of the proposed JIT, which would probe how the Gulf Steel Mills in UAE came into being, what led to its sale, what happened to its liabilities, where did its sale proceeds end up, how did they reach Jeddah, Qatar and the UK, whether Hussain Nawaz and Hassan Nawaz in view of their ages at the time had the means to possess and purchase the flats, and whether the sudden appearance of the letters of Hamad Bin Jassim Bin Jaber Al-Thani of the Qatar was a myth or a reality.
The court also asked how bearer shares translated into the four upscale flats in London, who was the real and beneficial owner of Nielsen Enterprises Limited and Nescoll Limited, how did Hill Metal Establishment come into existence, where did the money for Flagship Investment Limited and other companies set up or taken over by Hassan Nawaz and where did the working capital for such companies come from and where do the huge sums running into millions gifted by Hussain Nawaz to the prime minister drop in from, Dawn News reported.
