Nawaz's counsel says Jafza docs not attested as per law

It will have to be seen if documents could be accepted as evidences at all: Khawaja Haris

ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s counsel Khawaja Haris on Monday said the documents presented as evidence by the Panama Papers joint investigation team (JIT) about Sharif’s employment in an offshore company of his son were not attested in accordance with the law.

Giving argument in the Flagship reference - the third and the last reference against the former PM, Haris said the Jabal Ali Free Zone Authority (Jafza) documents were not attested as required by the law. If Pakistani consulate has not attested them, they cannot be acceptable, he said.

Submitting his reply to NAB document about Jafza, he said it will have to be seen if these can be accepted as evidences at all. He said any document from abroad should either be original or attested according to the law.



“The originating country attests this. Then Pakistani authority – Pakistani consulate or diplomatic agents – confirms that it has been received from the relevant authorities. If this procedure is not adopted, the document will not be acceptable,” he added.

Haris read out statement of the JIT chief Wajid Zia and told the court that Zia himself said the JIT did not try to get it confirmed from the UAE.

“Zia himself said the document did not bear name of the person who had taken screenshots. The full record of the electronic transaction regarding screen shots was also to be seen.

“Zia himself said nowhere in the JIT report was written that these were screenshots. The name of Nawaz Sharif was not same in Arabic and English. Wajid Zia himself depended on the statement. Wajid Zia said he did not click on this box. Therefore, full name did not appear,” he ssaid.

Haris pleaded that all companies including Capital FZE are one-man companies. No member of the Sharif family except Hasan Nawaz is director or shareholder in them. Nawaz Sharif got visa as an employee of the Capital FZE in special circumstances.

He said alterations were made in Jafza authority reports by the JIT. Nawaz Sharif got his first visa in June 18, 2006 and applied for the visa on June  8, 2006 as an employee of the FZE. The date of issuance of the visa will be informed to the court after seeing the record.

Judge Arsahd Malik asked is there any specific criterion to hold position of the board’s chairman or anyone can be made the chairman. “There can be a chairman if there is a board. Who were included in the board? Do the documents regarding the employment of Nawaz Sharif still have any significance? “



The judge said there are Nawaz Sharif's signatures on the documents. Haris said these are photocopies. “Prosecution did not present evidence regarding the record. Also, these documents are not attested as required by the law,” he added.

About historical copies of offshore companies, Haris said complete documents have not been received as yet. The judge asked if these documents could shake the case of prosecution. Haris said this is not the case but the properties mentioned in the reference have been sold and the documents belong to them.

The court asked the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to give arguments on Tuesday (today).

When Sharif arrived at the accountability court, dozens of workers were there to welcome him. Nawaz Sharif was holding two roses which he gave to two female workers – elderly worker Zubaida Aapa and Noreen Masood Gilani. The women said the gift was a big honour for them.