Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, following a nearly two- hour-long appearance before the Panama Papers joint investigation team in Islamabad, said his financial documents have been submitted to investigators probing his family’s alleged corruption. According to report, the premier, addressing reporters outside the Federal Judicial Academy in the capital said that his financial documents were already available with all relevant institutions including the Supreme Court. Today, however, he submitted them to the JIT as well. He was accompanied by his brother Shahbaz Sharif and one of his sons. The number of PML-N workers and lawyers supporting the PM kept swelling near the JIT secretariat, in spite of the premier’s earlier directive to party leaders and supporters to not converge at the venue. Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and Defence Minister Khawaja Asif were barred from entering the FJA premises by police officials. As soon as the top government officials reached the road outside the JIT secretariat, they were informed by police that they could not go inside. The JIT had prepared the questionnaire for the prime minister and his children last month. It questioned Hussain Nawaz, the PM’s elder son, on May 28. Hussain has made five appearances before the JIT so far. The investigation team has also grilled the PM’s younger son, Hassan. According to the notice issued to the PM, he has been called as a witness, not as an accused party in the case. The JIT has also summoned Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif in connection with the probe, while Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al- Thani, the author of the Qatari letter, has reportedly offered investigators the opportunity to come to Qatar to record his statement. The son-in- law of the prime minister retired Captain Mohammad Safdar has also been summoned by the JIT on June 25.Banners popped up in the capital welcoming the premier in the run-up to his JIT appearance. All roads leading to the H-8/4 sector, which houses the Judicial Academy, will remain sealed for the duration of the prime minister's appearance and no civilians will be allowed to enter the area all day. The six- man probe team, made up of members of civilian investigative agencies and military intelligence officers, are examining three generations of the Sharif family’s wealth. The appearance of PM Nawaz Sharif before the Joint Investigation Team is a good sign for the supremacy for rule of Law and it would strengthen democracy in Pakistan. The prime minister has set a good precedent by appearing before the JIT and he became first elected PM who has appeared before JIT. The government should continue its support to judiciary regarding the case and complains of creating hurdles for JIT should be settled. The political parties should not exploit the matter for their vested political interests and should wait for the final decision of the court. All parties should work for supremacy of the rule of law and strengthening of democracy because it is only way forward for the progress and prosperity of the country.
