(UDHAYAM, COLOMBO) – The Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to become the first sitting PM of Pakistan to appear before a Joint Investigation Team (JIT), to prove his innocence in the corruption cases filed by the opposition parties. The PM’ family members were among the people who were named in the Panama Papers leaked by International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) in 2015.
The Supreme Court of Pakistan in its judgment on 20th of April 2017 in the Panama Paper Case constituted a Joint Investigation team and empowered them to summon all people linked to this case for any kind of investigation. The Supreme Court of Pakistan directed the JIT to complete the investigation in 60 days. It is pertinent to mention here that among the five member larger bench of SCP in its verdict on April 20th two Judges disqualified the PM but three members called for further investigations to investigate the allegations of money laundering, through which different assets including the four apartments in London’s Parkland Avenue were owned by the PM’s sons.
In a statement issued by the Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Heritage, Marriyum Aurangzeb said that PM had received the summon form the JIT in connection to the Supreme Court’s order. She further said that PM will ensure his presence before the JIT accordingly to prove his innocence.
The opposition parties had been putting a massive pressure on the PM for his resignation until the completion of the investigation. The opposition parties are saying that a fair trial of the PM and his family members is not possible under an investigative team formed from the officers working under his governments.
In a recent tweet by Imran Khan, the Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) said, “Critical that PM Sharif resign while investigation is ongoing bec orgs represented in JIT subordinate to PM. Major contradiction.“
While on the other side the PM’s son Hussain Nawaz, who appeared before the JIT showed his concerns against the two members of the team for their alleged connections an opposition party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. The concerns had been rejected by the Supreme Court of Pakistan so far calling it a hindrance in the process of investigation.
The political environment in the country is heated up once again due to the media rhetoric from both the ruling and opposition parties to dominate the public opinion.
The ruling party members are adamant that this cases nothing more than to ridicule the image of the largest ruling Party in the country while the opposition parties think that since the PM’s family members are among those in Panama papers investigation is necessary to prove his innocence.
The public and media are waiting for the outcome of the investigation of important case, in which the PM and his family members are direct parties.
By: Muhammad Irfan
[accordion][acc title=””]Muhammad Irfan is a journalist from Pakistan and he writes on different social and political issues. Irfan tweets at @irfanchourbati1[/acc][/accordion]
