Avenfield Case: JIT report is 'irrelevant' as evidence, says Maryam Nawaz

ISLAMABAD: Maryam Nawaz, daughter of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, while recording her statement before an accountability court here in Avenfield reference on Thursday, stated that the joint investigation team (JIT) and the report prepared by them against Sharif family are irrelevant in the case. 

“The report prepared by the JIT cannot be presented as an evidence against me” Maryam said while citing that the apex court ordered to file references by the help of evidences provided in the JIT report, there was no mention of making the report a part of the evidence in any reference.

While toeing the line of her father Nawaz Sharif, Maryam also expressed reservations on JIT members and told the court that she is of the same opinion about the JIT as of her father. “JIT member Bilal Rasool and his family are PTI supporters and they oppose PML-N manifestly,” she added.

Maryam further went on to allege that Bilal Rasool is nephew of Mian Azhar and Hammad Azhar, son of Mian Azhar, had met Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan.

She also expressed reservations over the inclusion of Brigadier Noman Saeed, Amer Aziz from State Bank of Pakistan in the Joint Investigation Team (JIT).

Maryam Nawaz claimed that Amer Aziz was close to the military dictator, General (retd) Pervez Musharraf and Brigadier Noman Saeed was also part of the Dawn Leaks enquiry committee. Hence, JIT members had been biased in their investigations.

During hearing, Maryam referred the verdict of April 20, 2017 in her statement and stressed “Me and my husband were not mentioned in the verdict of April 20 yet we are appearing before the court”.

Marayam Nawaz during hearing claimed that the speech of Nawaz Sharif and TV interviews of Hasan and Hussain Nawaz, which JIT included as evidence in its report, were not authentic.

Maryam Nawaz will again appear before the court tomorrow to answer remaining questions of a questionnaire about the Avenfield case.

The court later adjourned the hearing till tomorrow.

Nawaz Sharif has completed recording his statement before the court yesterday.

Yesterday, Nawaz Sharif, while recording his statement before the accountability court for a third consecutive day in Avenfield case, said: “I was asked to resign after initiating inquiry against Musharraf”

The Avenfield reference, pertaining to the Sharif family’s London properties, is among three filed references against Sharifs by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) last year on the Supreme Court’s directive.