ISLAMABAD – Hussain Nawaz, the elder son of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif appeared before the six-member Joint Investigation Team probing offshore assets of Sharif family, here on Friday.

This is the fifth appearance of Hussain Nawaz before the investigative team that grilled his younger brother, Hassan, a day earlier.

Talking to newsmen before entering federal judicial academy, Hussain expressed that if any evidence is available, then substantial action should be taken accordingly, however, no court initiates legal proceedings merely on the basis of speculations.

He also sought action against those who leaked his picture and maintained that several questions popped up on the proceedings of Joint Investigation Team.

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 the third time, Hussain Nawaz reached Federal Judicial Academy on Thursday (June 1) to appear before the probing team.

Hussain Nawaz appeared before the JIT on June 3 for the fourth time.

Talking to media while leaving the judicial academy after the 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 the third appearance, Nawaz said that he will appear before the investigation team whenever he is called by the JIT.

“We have the same assets as we had during the tenure of former president Pervez Musharraf,” Nawaz said, adding that fake cases were registered against them in Musharraf’s tenure.

Hussain’s Photo Leak Controversy

The Joint Investigation Team probed in the purview of Panama Papers case judgment was visibly lampooned on social media and by members of ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz after a photo of Hussain Nawaz appeared online in which he could be seen sitting on a chair in the federal judicial academy.

Hussain moved the Supreme Court against the photo leak after which the top court sought a reply from members of Joint Investigation Team as to who was behind the leakage of a screen grab from the CCTV camera.

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 did the huge sums running into millions gifted by Hussain Nawaz to the prime minister come from, Dawn News reported.