Supreme Court of Pakistan resumed the hearing of the Panamagate case today after prime minister’s daughter Maryam Nawaz submitted her reply in the last proceedings on Friday.
A larger bench of the apex court comprising five judges – Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, Justice Azmat Saeed, Justice Ijaz Afzal, Justice Gulzar Ahmed and Justice Ijaz-ul-Hasan – is hearing the case.
Counsel of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Naeem Bukhari, during his reply in the court on Monday, said discussion on beneficial ownership of London flats was vital and also furnished evidence to corroborate his claims.
He said enough evidences were at hand to prove Maryam Nawaz’s ownership of the London properties. Mr. Bukhari contended before the court that Maryam and Hussain Nawaz were directors of the Hudaibiya Papers Mills in 1997.
However, Justice Gulzar Ahmed remarked that pertinent question relates to 12 million dirhams.
Read more: Panama case: Maryam Nawaz submits reply
In one of the previous hearings, counsel of PM’s children had submitted a letter from Qatari Prince Shaikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Hamad bin Abdullah bin Jassim bin Muhammed Al Thani to the top court’s larger bench.
The letter addressing the apex court states that in 1980, Mian Muhammad Sharif (Nawaz Sharif’s father) invested 12 million Dirhams in the Al Thani company belonging to the Qatari prince’s father. “In the year 2006, the accounts in relation to the above investment were settled between Hussain Nawaz Sharif and Al Thani family, who then delivered the bearer shares of the companies referred in para 4 above to a representative of Hussain Nawaz Sharif,” the letter read.
MARYAM NAWAZ REJECTS ALLEGATIONS
“I am not a beneficiary of Sharif family’s property,” claimed Maryam, in a reply filed through her counsel, and referred herself as only a trustee and signatory of the offshore companies at the centre of the case.
Maryam maintained that as a trustee, she could only run businesses of the trust in case of the death of a current trustee.
Also read: Supreme Court to conduct Panamagate hearings on daily basis
Maryam Nawaz’s counsel had said that four references are being heard against the prime minister whereas a reference has also been filed against Finance Minister Ishaq Dar.
Justice Asif Saeed Khosa had asked in the previous hearing whether the same case is under proceeding in the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on which Hamid replied that the applications were first filed in the election commission.
BACKGROUNDER
The leaked papers, comprising 11.5 million documents from Panama-based law firm Mossack Fonseca, exposes how some of the world’s most powerful people have secreted their money offshore, and also implicated Sharif’s sons Hasan Nawaz and Hussain Nawaz.
Three of Sharif’s four children are named in the Panama Papers — daughter Maryam, who has been tipped to be his political successor, and sons Hasan and Hussain — with the records showing they owned London real estate through offshore companies administered by Mossack Fonseca.
The Panama Papers have whipped up a storm of controversy over offshore wealth, ensnaring political leaders, sports figures and underworld members across the globe in the scandal.
