Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz submitted documentary evidence on the legitimacy of their assets before the Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday.

The documents comprising 397 pages contain details of transactions as well as receipts of payments since 2011, also submitted a letter from a Qatari prince stating he gave money to the Sharif family for the purchase of flats in London.

The documents confirmed that Hussain Nawaz is the ‘owner’ of the Trust holding these companies. The documents also consist of details of PM’s wealth tax of 2011 and 2012. The prime minister has also submitted nomination papers and his daughter’s wealth tax details.

The SC has termed the letter of Qatar’s former ruler as ‘heresay’. However, the court observed that the letter would be examined as to whether it has value of evidence or not. The letter was produced by Akram Sheikh, counsel for PM’s children, before a larger bench, which resumed Panamagate hearing today. The letter is written by Hamid Bin Jasim bin Jaffer Althani of Qatar’s royal family.

The letter stated the relationships of the prime minister with Qatar’s royal family. Akram Sheikh pleaded before the court to keep its confidentiality. But Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, member of the bench, observed that the letter will be public once it becomes part of record.

The court directed to produce a photocopy of letter. Akram Sheikh could not be satisfied the court as to whether the undersigned of letter will appear before the court of Pakistan to record his statement. The court directed the parties to exchange documents, which are claimed to be evidences, to examine.

The letter addressing the apex court states that PM Nawaz invested 12 million Dirhams in the Al Thani company belonging to the Qatari prince’s father in 1980. “In the year 2006, the accounts in relation to the above investment were settled between Hussain Nawaz Sharif and Al Thani family, who then delivered the bearer shares of the companies referred in para 4 above to a representative of Hussain Nawaz Sharif,” the letter read.

However, responding to the letter Justice Khosa asked Sharif family counsel, Akram Sheikh, whether the Qatari prince will appear as witness in court. The justice also observed the letter contradicts PM’s earlier stance on the London flats.

A five-member larger bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali, resumed hearing of the petitions seeking a probe into the Panama Leaks and disqualification of Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif. Maryam Nawaz submitted the evidence required by the court, her brothers Hassan and Hussain Nawaz, both of whom live abroad, failed to submit relevant documents.

– Documents of PTI not related to case –

The SC said that the documents submitted by Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) were not even related to the case which was being heard. Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed, who was also part of the larger bench, commented that the documents submitted by the PTI also contained clippings from newspapers. He said that the petitioner himself had buried the truth.

Panama scandal: PTI submits ‘evidence’ against Sharifs in SC

“Newspaper clippings cannot be considered as evidence,” he said. Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali remarked that documents consisting of 1600 pages from one party were submitted while the other party to the case had submitted 700 pages. “We are not computer machines in which you feed paper and the answer immediately comes out,” he said. The case has adjourned till 17 November.