Pakistan Prime Minister’s Children Faced with Supreme Court Deadline
Dissatisfied with the replies submitted by Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s three children in the Panama Papers scandal, the Supreme Court on Monday gave them a week’s time to furnish relevant documents about the money invested by the family in foreign businesses.
The court last week had ordered Maryam, Hassan, and Hussain to respond to charges by opposition that they bought assets abroad with illegal money.
The five-member bench headed by Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali took up five identical petitions by Imran Khan and others on November 1, demanding a probe into the assets of those mentioned in the Panama Leaks.
Mr. Sharif had submitted his response last week through his counsel, Salman Aslam Butt, in which he denied any financial wrongdoing.
Today, his counsel representing Mr. Sharif’s children told the court that Mr. Hassan Nawaz has been doing a lawful business for the last 22 years and Mr. Hussain for 16 years.
Mr. Butt said that Maryam Nawaz is not dependent on the Prime Minister and lives an independent life as a married person.
All three children denied allegations leveled against them.
The court asked about the money trail which was invested in the foreign businesses of Sharif’s family and gave seven days period to furnish relevant documents.
The court adjourned till November 15.
It also directed all parties to submit documentary evidence about their claims and charges or denials.
The case is being billed as make or break for the Prime Minister as Mr. Imran Khan and others have alleged that foreign assets of three children managed by offshore companies were purchased through corruption and money laundering.
The court initially refused to hear the case but took up the proceeding after Mr. Imran Khan announced to lockdown capital Islamabad on November 2.
The court has indicated that it would set up one-man probe commission to thoroughly probe the charges. But it needed detailed Terms of Reference (ToR).
In the past no headway was made in the probe as both government and opposition have different ToRs.
Now the court has asked the parties to submit their ToRs and announced to go ahead with its own ToRs for the probe if difference continue.
It is believed that a negative judgment in the case would seal Mr. Sharif’s fate.
