PM may be summoned in Panamagate case: SC

Maryam Nawaz once again denies ownership of London apartments

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday said it may summon Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to record his statement in the ongoing Panamagate case.

The remarks were made by Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, who is heading a five-judge larger bench of the apex court to hear a slew of petitions against the Sharif family over corruption, in response to a plea made by Jamaat-e-Islami counsel Advocate Taufiq Asif.

Asif requested the top court to summon the prime minister and record his statement regarding the ownership of luxury apartments in an upscale London neighbourhood.



Justice Khosa told the JI counsel that the court will first hear the stance of the counsels of PM Nawaz’s children and if there is anything required, then the premier may be summoned. The judge, however, clarified that such a move will only be taken after hearing the arguments of the counsels.

Meanwhile, Justice Gulzar Ahmed observed that the apex court had declared in the Khewra Mines case that it can record evidence under Article 184(3) of the Constitution.

Concluding his arguments, the JI counsel said Nawaz had appeared in the top court several times in different matters, therefore, the court should summon him in this matter as well. “Everyone's has doubts regarding the money trail of London flats given by the Sharif family,” he argued.

Maryam denies ownership of London apartments

Prime minister’s daughter Maryam Nawaz on Tuesday once again denied allegations she was the beneficial owner of London properties.

In her reply submitted in SC, the premier’s daughter also rejected the correspondence between Financial Investigation Agency of the British Virgin Islands and Mossack Fonseca.



Maryam’s response came a day after German newspaper, Süddeutsche Zeitung — the original source of the Panama Papers leaks —, reaffirmed that the prime minister’s daughter was connected with Minerva Financial Services Ltd, the company that owns the Park Lane flats in London.

The family of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was named in the Panama Papers, one of the biggest leaks in history. The leak, comprising 11.5 million documents from Panama-based law firm Mossack Fonseca, shows how some of the world’s most powerful people have secreted away their money in offshore jurisdictions.

Among those named are three of Sharif’s four children — Maryam, who has been tipped to be his political successor; Hasan and Hussain, with the records showing they owned London real estate through offshore companies administrated by the firm.