Treat all equally in Panama scandal: JI

Says 436 suspects must be dealt with in same manner as Nawaz

ISLAMABAD:

Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) in its written reply to the Supreme Court in the Panama scandal on Tuesday maintained that the way former premier Nawaz Sharif was dealt with “iron hands”, the judgment of the case should be applied on the other 436 accused too.

The religio-political party submitted its response to the nine questions asked by the apex court in the reference.

In April 2016, the Panama Papers, a treasure trove of leaked documents, disclosed how thousands of people across the world had stashed their wealth in tax havens through offshore companies. The papers included names of 436 Pakistanis including the family members of Nawaz Sharif.

A number of petitioners including PTI Chairman Imran Khan and JI chief Sirajul Haq filed petitions in the apex court. Later, a five-judge SC bench on July 28, 2017 disqualified the former premier for not disclosing the salary that he received from a company owned by one of his sons in his nomination papers submitted before July 2013 general elections.

The top court bench led by Justice Sardar Tariq Masood during the last hearing had asked the petitioner under what circumstances the JI’s earlier petition was separated from the Panama’s main case.

In its written reply, the JI while quoting the bench hearing the Panama reference said that the verdict may take several years if the party’s case was heard.

The bench hearing the Panama case said we will hear Nawaz Sharif's case first, the JI said in its reply, adding that the main focus of the bench was on the former premier’s reference.

One of the nine questions asked in the court order was why the Panama case did not fall under the jurisdiction of the Income Tax Ordinance.

Answering this question, the JI stated that the Supreme Court had declared in the Panama case verdict that the FBR was not interested in the matter. It was further said that the FIA did not have the authority to take action against the public officeholders.

The party pointed out that names of people from more than 11 countries appeared in the Panama scandal against whom legal action was taken but in Pakistan only Nawaz and his family were targeted.

“That petitioner is very clear that if Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif was dealt with iron hands why not be other persons named in ‘Panama Leaks’ be dealt strictly according to the way and procedure laid down in Panama judgment,” the JI said while replying to one of the questions of the top court.

The party sought the formation of a JIT against the 436 accused involved in the scandal.