Nawaz Sharif will be the first acting PM to appear before a JIT. The JIT appearance will take place for probing the money laundering allegations against him and his family. The summon issued on 8th June 2017 notes the date of JIT appearance on 15th June 2017 at 11:00 hours. The Prime Minister will have to appear at the Federal Judicial Academy located on Service Road South, Sector H-8/4, Islamabad.
Present Records on JIT Appearance
The PM will also submit the relevant documents and records on his first JIT appearance. The Prime Minister’s Council, Makhdoom Ali Khan, already submitted the documents to the Supreme Court. Sources close to the JIT proceedings also revealed that the team would also question Finance Minister Ishaq Dar.
The Progress on the JIT So Far
The PM’s JIT appearance will proceed after a lot of progress made by the team. Let us have a look at the JIT’s work so far.
The Order of Supreme Court to Form Joint Investigation Team
The Supreme Court of Pakistan ordered the formation of JIT to probe the Panama Papers. The Supreme Court of Pakistan gave two months for the JIT to investigate the matter and bring forth its report. At the time, the JIT ordered the probe of PM Nawaz Sharif and his two sons, Hussain Nawaz and Hassan Nawaz.
Controversy Surrounding JIT to Influence its Formation
Before the JIT could start its work, it was hit a by a controversy. A person who claimed to be the registrar of SC contacted the Security Exchange Commission of Pakistan, wanted to include some particular individuals into the JIT.
The JIT was formed on 2nd May 2017 with individuals from six different institutions. The Joint Investigation Team includes individuals from MI, ISI, SEP, SBP, NAB, and FIA.
The JIT Appearance of Hussain Nawaz
There are five JIT appearances made by Hussain Nawaz, elder son of the Prime Minster.
First Appearance at the JIT
In the first appearance, Hussain Nawaz said that the status of the JIT was sub judice and did not answer questions relating to the investigative body. Similarly, he also put forth the demand to have his lawyer with him.
Furthermore, Hussain Nawaz stated that the Joint Investigation Team did not give him any questionnaire. He was not given any list of documents to present to the court.
Second JIT Appearance
The second appearance of Hussain Nawaz also took a lot of time. Some reports suggested that Hussain Nawaz was given medical care after a drop in his levels of blood sugar.
Third JIT Appearance
In the third JIT appearance, the elder son of the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said that he would appear as many times before the JIT as required. Similarly, he had also said that if he is fine with the matters proceeding as per routine. However, if he is not satisfied with the process at any time, he would present the issue in front of the SC and public.
Fourth Appearance at the Investigation
In the fourth appearance, the Joint Investigation Team investigated the matter for six hours. He arrived at the Judicial Academy in tight security. In response to a question, Hussain Nawaz stated that he had presented his narrative to the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
Fifth Appearance of Hussain Nawaz
In the last appearance, Hussain Nawaz has said that he thinks he has answered all questions of the Joint Investigation Team. According to him, the nature of questions asked suggest that the investigation team may not call him again.
The JIT Appearance of Hassan Nawaz
Hussain Nawaz is among the members of the Sharif family under investigation.
Hassan Nawaz First Appearance
In his first appearance, Hassan Nawaz as per some media reports has submitted some documents to the Joint Investigation Team. After his first session, Hassan Nawaz chose not to interact with the journalists waiting for his verdict on the opinion. Hassan Nawaz was given the notice to appear earlier, but he could not do so because of some legal complications.
Hassan Nawaz Second Appearance
He did appear the second time too in front of the JIT. The second session of Hassan Nawaz continued for several hours of investigation. During this meeting, the probe as per media reports revolved around questions relating to family’s property in London.
Two Major Controversies During the Joint Investigation Team Probe
The Leaked Photo of Hussain Nawaz
The photo of Hussain Nawaz sitting in the JIT investigation also got leaked. This leak has created a lot of controversy and problems for the Joint Investigation Team. The investigation team is preparing a reply to give an explanation and possible cause behind this leak. The person who first tweeted this picture with the twitter handle @takentweets, says he got the image from one of the members of PML (N)’s social media team.
Nehal Hashmi’s Outburst Against the Probing Team
Nehal Hashmi, a PML (N) senator went all out against the Joint Investigation Team. The issuance of the threats to all the members of the team did not bode well with the party’s leadership. He did try to explain his position by saying what he stated had got misinterpreted. However, this attack on the probing authority cost him his seat and place in the party. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif issued orders to expel him from the party and revoked his basic party membership.
Two Reports by the Team
The JIT has so far submitted two reports to the Supreme Court of Pakistan. The team has stated in its report that it is satisfied with the overall progress and direction of the investigation. The Joint Investigation Team will probe the Finance Minister as well. The investigating body wants the Prime Minster to bring all the relevant documents during his first JIT appearance.
