ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court will pronounce its verdict on a petition of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s son Hussain Nawaz on Tuesday (today), seeking probe into his leaked photo depicting him sitting before the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) probing the first family’s foreign properties, ARY News reported.
A three-judge bench headed by Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan, constituted to supervise the investigation into the Panama Papers allegations, will resume its hearing today at around 1:00pm.
The bench had earlier reserved its judgment on Hussain Nawaz’s application through which he sought constitution of a judicial commission comprising a sitting or retired judge to carry out investigation into the photo leak which he said was aimed at humiliating him.
During previous hearing, the bench directed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to probe the role of Security Exchange Commission of Pakistan’s (SECP) chairman in tempering with the record of the Sharif family’s Chaudhry Sugar Mills.
The bench was critical of the Intelligence Bureau (IB) for allegedly harassing a JIT member, hacking his Facebook account, loitering around his residence, and collecting his personal data from the Nadra. It summoned IB Director General Aftab Sultan to turn up before it on Tuesday to explain the allegations leveled against the government-controlled spy agency.
The judges sought Attorney General Ashtar Ausaf’s assistance with regard to the serious nature of the allegations leveled against IB.
Justice Ijazul Ahsan observed that it has become a routine practice by the government officials to criticize the probing team and the judiciary during talk shows.
Furthermore, the bench directed the JIT to focus on its objective and complete the probe within the stipulated time of 60 days.
JIT’S Response
Last week, the Panama JIT had rejected the allegations levelled against it in connection with the leaking of Hussain Nawaz’s photo before a questioning session. However, it assured that punitive action would be taken against any individual suspected of involved in the incident.It also apprised the bench that the Prime Minister House and government machinery were being used to influence the witnesses, creating hurdles in the probe by withholding the important record with regard to the money trail of the Sharif family’s foreign properties.
