Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif pictured alongside senior PML-N leaders. PHOTO: PPI
ISLAMABAD: Nawaz Sharif’s legal team has yet to finalise its strategy regarding filing of objections to the damning report of the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) that probed the ruling family’s offshore businesses in line with the apex court’s April 20 verdict in Panama Papers case.
Sources told The Express Tribune that the legal team met after the PML-N’s Parliamentary Party meeting on Friday but could not decide whether it should file objections to the JIT report today (Saturday).
Sharifs’ legal team mulls filing review petition
The Friday’s meeting was reportedly not a pleasant one with the participants divided over the legal strategy to be adopted before the Supreme Court’s three-judge bench. Headed by Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan, the bench is going to resume hearing of Pananagate case on Monday.
PML-N lawyers upset over govt’s aggressive media policy
It is learnt that Khawaja Haris is leading the legal team and he has prepared a draft of objections on the JIT report but one group of legal minds says the family should not file its written objections today (Saturday) and should seek more time from the bench on Monday.
The Supreme Court registrar has issued notices to all counsels for the petitioners and respondents for Monday’s hearing. However, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), which is a party in the case, has not received the notice so far.
Lawyer’s move raises eyebrows in PML-N camp
The sources said the PM’s son Hussain Nawaz is interested to get services of his earlier counsel, Salman Akram Raja. Raja represented both Hussain and Hassan Nawaz before the larger bench, which announced Panamagate verdict. Makhdoom Ali Khan was the PM’s counsel but presently he is abroad.
A senior government official said the apex court might even summon the PM on the next hearing.
“If found necessary for passing an appropriate order in this behalf, respondent No 1 (PM) or any other person may be summoned and examined,” the apex court had said in its April 20 order.
Sharif family expresses full confidence on legal team
However, legal experts are wondering why the JIT in its interrogation did not confront the PM on the evidence, which confirms that Sharif was employed with an offshore company, the Capital FZE, as its board chairman from August 6, 2006 to April 20, 2014.
No criticism of bench, Shehbaz asks leaders
Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has urged party leaders to refrain from criticising the apex court bench hearing the Panamagate case, as well as other state institutions.
A senior PML-N leader told The Express Tribune that the CM, while addressing the PML-N’s parliamentary party meeting, also advised Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to strengthen his legal team and go the whole hog in fighting the case. “Shehbaz put emphasis on a non-hawkish and polite approach, a suggestion which the PM agreed to,” he added.
PML-N bins JIT report as a ‘piece of trash’
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) has yet to decide about its future course of action regarding the Panamagate issue. The SCBA members are more interested to settle the issue of their housing scheme rather than starting campaign against the government, said a source.
However, another SCBA meeting will be held today (Saturday) in Lahore.
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