ISLAMABAD: Chief Minister of Punjab Shehbaz Sharif has appeared before the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) and recorded his statement before the team in connection with the Panama leaks on Saturday.
Shabbaz Sharif, accompanied by Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and Hamza Shahbaz Sharif, arrived at Federal Judicial Academyapproximately at 11:00 am. He remained with the probing team for more than three hours.
Shahbaz Sharif’s vehicle was driven there by Chaudhry Nisar.
The provincial Chief Minister answered to the queries of the investigation team about allegations of money laundering against the Sharif family, and recorded his statement.
Like Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Punjab CM Shahbaz Sharif also faced the JIT as a witness, sources said.
Sources said that questions related to Hudaibiya Paper Mills and business of Hamza Shehbaz are being asked from the minister whereas he has also presented relevant documents before JIT.
It is to be mentioned that Shehbaz Sharif has been called as a witness, not as an accused party in the case.
Shahbaz Sharif is the fourth member of Sharif family appearing before the JIT. On June 15, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was questioned by the probing team. Hussain Nawaz and Hassan Nawaz had also been grilled by Panama JIT.
“I have recorded my statement and appeared before the JIT on a notice served to me and have recorded statement on Panama issue,” said Sharif while talking to media persons outside Federal Judiciary Academy after turning up before Panamagate Joint Investigation Team (JIT) probing money trail and offshore properties of Sharif family.
“Appearance before JIT by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and me has proved that elected politicians respect the law of land,” he said and added “We have created history by appearing before the probing team.”
“I answered every question asked by the JIT according to my best knowledge,” said the Punjab Chief Minister. “Sharif family’s personal business was ruined in the name of accountability,” he alleged.
Shahbaz Sharif claimed neither there was any corruption case against Sharif family in the past, not there would be in the future.
Lamenting the merciless accountability, Shahbaz said that he was also suffering from back ailment but did not make an excuse to go abroad for treatment to avoid the accountability. “I did not get admitted in Rawalpindi Medical Institute neither Londonrather presented my stance before the probing team,” he added.
He said the appearance of his brother Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had made history by setting a precedent for others to emulate. “The premier turned up before the JIT for the supremacy of the constitution and I [as Chief Minister] have upheld the exemplary precedent by appearing before the probing team with similar intentions,” Shahbaz added.
“We respect the rule of law and will not hesitate to appear for accountability as many times as they summon us, [as] nothing has proved against us in last four tests of accountability since 1972,” he asserted.
Shahbaz Sharif said that this is the fifth time the Sharif family are being put to trial, but all allegations will be proven false. “The first accountability begun on January 2, 1972 during Bhutto’s presidency when the family was deprived of Ittefaq Foundry ownership,” said Shahbaz Sharif.
Referring to the development projects being executed in present government, Shahbaz Sharif said that two hundred billion rupees have been saved by ensuring transparency in power plants and orange train. He said Sharif family greatly adores this motherland and they have not plundered any money. He said we have returned all the loans of Ittefaq Foundaries.
Strict security arrangements were put in place around the judicial academy which is the secretariat of the JIT.
Islamabad police, under the command of Senior Superintendent Police (SSP) Sajid Kiani, have ensured foolproof security arrangements by deploying at least 2500 security officials of police, traffic police, Special Branch, FC and Rangers at various rooftops around Federal Judicial Academy to avoid any untoward incident.
The roads heading to the academy have been blocked by placing barbed wires to refrain entry of irrelevant persons in the area, the higher police official said. NNI