Hussain Nawaz fears two JIT members ‘compromised’

Names SECP’s Bilal Rasool and SBP’s Ahmer Aziz

ISLAMABAD: Hussain Nawaz, son of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, has requested the top court to issue appropriate orders regarding his apprehensions about the impartiality of two members of the Joint Investigation Team (JIT), tasked to probe the Sharif family’s offshore assets.

Hussain had submitted a five-page application to the Supreme Court’s registrar on May 20, giving certain instances of the alleged political inclinations and bias of the two members of the JIT.

The application read, “The undersign[ed] requests that the facts narrated in the application may kindly be brought to the notice of the bench constituted for the implementation of the verdict [April 20, 2017] passed in Constitution Petition No 29 of 2016 for the gracious consideration and passing of appropriate orders by the bench in terms of the prayer.”



Having reservations about the induction of Bilal Rasool -- a representative from the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) -- as member of the JIT, Hussain said in his application that Rasool is the real nephew of Mian Muhammad Azhar, who alongside his immediate family members, is an ardent supporter of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

Rasool is vocal against the present government and has been pro-PTI even though he’s a government servant, he added.

Hussain also attached the details of Rasool’s Facebook chat. He said when Rasool was inducted as a member of the JIT, his wife, who is also pro-PTI, removed all her posts from the social media accounts.

“This act of hers, in fact, raised alarms in the mind of the undersigned, as her removal of posts from her social media account indicates her anxiety to conceal her loyalty, devotion and unremitting support for the PTI,” stated the application.

Likewise, Ahmer Aziz, a representative of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), was also part of a National Accountability Bureau investigation that had been carried out in respect of Hudabya Paper Mills during Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf’s regime.



Hussain’s application stated, “Aziz was CFO of Al Baraka Islamic Bank before joining SBP in 1997, which was an associated organisation of Al Towfeek Company for Investment Funds which also had a commercial dispute with Hudabya Paper Mills since 1994. It is evident that Aziz is not an impartial member of the JIT nor can he be expected to conduct himself impartially during the JIT proceedings.”

Hussain Nawaz's application.



Hussain said in the application that it is a fact that Aziz betrayed his inner prejudice and grievance during the interrogation of Tariq Shafi, PM’s cousin, on May 16. He threatened Shafi to withdraw his affidavit of the facts before the five-judge larger bench in the Panamagate case or face penal consequences.

Needless to say that such threats and intimations have raised further apprehensions regarding the impartiality of this member of the JIT, said Hussain. A formal complaint has already been lodged by Shafi with the JIT chairman.

Hussain requested the apex court to “kindly pass appropriate orders in the interest of justice, equity and fair play to ensure a fair and impartial investigation into the case”.

Tariq Shafi's applications.