Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Wednesday asked the lawyer of the Prime Minister’s sons to substantiate the beneficial ownership of Hussain Nawaz if Maryam Safdar is a trustee of the property.

The court observed that the communication with Minerva Services Limited which pertains to the instruction making Maryam Safdar a trustee of the London properties, could be a turning point in the Panamagate Case.

A five-member larger bench of the Supreme Court consisting of Justice Ijaz Afzal, Justice Gulzar Ahmed, Justice Shaikh Azmat and Justice Ijazul Ahsan headed by Justice Asif Saeed Khosa resumed the hearing of the Panama Leaks case.

The court also noted that the two documents including Minerva Services record regarding London properties and instructions have not been provided as yet. Justice Asif Saeed Khosa (heading the five-member bench), while reiterating that the issue is not about dependency but ‘honesty’, observed that the stage has come which will make or break the case.

Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed, member of the larger bench, observed that records could reveal who paid Minerva Services Limited.

The hearing had been put on hold for a few days due to Justice Azmat Saeed’s health condition.

During the hearing, Justice Saeed asked Salman Akram Raja, counsel for the PM’s sons, about the document which could substantiate that Hussain Nawaz is the beneficial owner of the London flats.

The judge also asked the counsel to provide the agreement between the Sharifs and Minerva Services Limited.

Raja said the court posed eight questions to the defendants, including questions regarding the relationship between the PM’s father, Mian Sharif, and the Al Thani family, the shares in Nielsen and Nescoll, and the profits the family gained from them.

However, Justice Khosa directed Raja to conclude his arguments first before answering the court’s questions.

Salman Akram Raja during the hearing of the Panama Leaks case, resumed his argument by saying, “It is not possible to present 45-year-old records since in 1999, when the Sharif family was in exile, they faced trauma and lost several official records.