Apex court permits JIT report's 'Volume X' access to NAB

ISLAMABAD: Following the Nawaz Sharif’s ouster as Prime Minister in the Panamagate case, the Supreme Court of Pakistan on Thursday granted the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) access to Volume X of the report compiled by Joint Investigation Team (JIT), unveiling stashing of Sharif family’s offshore wealth.

The apex court’s orders came at a time when anti-corruption watch dog has summoned deposed PM and his two sons to turn up before the NAB investigators in Lahore.

Previously, the top court had asked the NAB to file references against the Sharif family in light of JIT’s findings while announcing its final verdict in the Panamagate case on July 28.

However, Volume X of the report has been barred from making public on the request of six-member JIT’s Chairman Wajid Zia before the court. The section contains details of mutual legal assistance (MLA) with various countries with regard to Sharif family’s offshore properties.

Withholding the tenth volume earlier, the top court had already provided the NAB with rest of nine volumes of Panamagate probing team’s report against Sharif family.

The deposed premier and his sons are expected to turn up before NAB investigators in the Al-Azizia Steel Mills case tomorrow (Friday).

It is pertinent to note here that the Panamagate JIT formed on the orders of Supreme Court, in its final report, had said that Hussain Nawaz failed to produce any evidence or means establishing his personal capacity of meeting SAR 90.4 million equity requirements as his share in the sale proceeds of Al Azizia Steel Company fell well short of this requirement.