Islamabad: The joint investigation team (JIT) probing Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his family's alleged offshore assets, as revealed in Panama Papers leaks, has summoned Sharif to appear before it on June 15.
The constitution of JIT to further probe the Panama scam involving members of Sharif 's family was ordered by the Supreme Court and had directed the probing body to complete its investigation within two months.
It includes representatives from Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Military Intelligence (MI), Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), State Bank and National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
According to government sources, Sharif has been asked to come to the Federal Judicial Academy along with all relevant documents. The summons was issued to Sharif after he returned from Kazakhstan, where he had been attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit.
After discussing the issue with his close aides, Sharif has decided to appear before the JIT. Sharif's
sons, Husain Nawaz and Hassan Nawaz, have already appeared before the JIT and members of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) accuse the probing body of being partial and harassing PM's sons.
The case stems from documents leaked from the Panama-based Mossack Fonseca law firm, showing that Nawaz Sharif's daughter, Maryum Nawaz, and his two sons owned offshore companies registered in the British Virgin Islands and used them to buy properties in London. At least eight offshore companies were found to have links to the Sharif family in the documents that were leaked.
Owning off-shore companies is not illegal in Pakistan, but Sharif 's political opponents allege that he had bought the properties in London by laundering money earned through corruption. Sharif argues that he is not the owner and the money is in his children's names and he was therefore not obliged to declare the assets on tax and other disclosure documents.
