Panama Papers case: Pakistan JIT submits final report against Nawaz Sharif and family

Islamabad: A Joint Investigation Team (JIT) probing the Panamagate graft case against Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his family on Monday submitted its final report to the Supreme Court. Members of the JIT arrived at the apex court amid tight security provided by the Islamabad Capital Territory Police and large cardboard boxes labelled ‘Evidence’ were carted into the court. Besides other evidence, the report consists of the statements of Prime Minister Sharif, his brother and Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif; his children Hussain, Hassan and Maryam Sharif and son-in-law retired Captain Mohammad Safdar. [caption id=“attachment_3543487” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif. Reuters[/caption] A three-judge bench comprising Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed, Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Ejaz Afzal is hearing the JIT. The six-member JIT was set up in May by the Supreme Court with the mandate to probe the Sharif family for allegedly failing to provide the trail of money used to buy properties in London in 1990s. It has also probed several serving and former officials in connection with the case. In 2016, the Panama Papers revealed that three of Prime Minister Sharif’s children owned offshore companies and assets not shown on his family’s wealth statement. The assets in question include four expensive flats in Park Lane, London. The top court took up the case in October 2016 on petitions filed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Awami Muslim League and Jamaat-e-Islami and reserved the verdict in February after conducting hearings on a daily basis.