Panama Case: No evidence against PM, action against children not possible: Raja

ISLAMABAD: A five-member larger bench of the Supreme Court headed by Justice Asif Saeed Khosa resumed hearing the Panama Leaks case on Wednesday.

The hearing had been put on hold for a few days due to Justice Azmat Saeed's health condition who is part of the Supreme Court bench hearing the Panama Leaks case. Justice Azmat Saeed was recovering from an angioplasty.

During the proceedings today, counsel for Hassan and Hussain Nawaz, Salman Akram Raja, continued his arguments. He began with wishing Justice Azmat Saeed good health. He said that the Panama case had three aspects; the Prime Minister's speech, official records, and steps taken by the Prime Minister.

In the last hearing on January 31, many questions were put to Hassan and Hussain Nawaz’s counsel regarding the London flats. Who owned the properties from 1993 to 1996? Where did the investment for the London flats come from? How did the Sharif family children maintain residence at the property? In the proceedings today, Salman Akram Raja tried to address them.

He argued that in 1999 when the Sharif family was in exile it faced trauma and lost several official records. "It is not possible to present 45-year-old records," he said.

He said that there was no charge against the Prime Minister and action against his children was not possible. He added that the issue could be sent to agencies for investigation.

Answering questions over money trail for the London flats, he argued that his client Hussain Nawaz had purchased them through money obtained from his grandfather's business. Salman Akram Raja added that the plaintiff had accused the Prime Minister of acquiring the flat through illegal money.

He said that the Sharif family did not own the London flats in 1999. Between 1993 and 1996 they were owned by the Al-Thani family, and in January 2006 they were transferred to Hussain Nawaz. In July the certificates were transferred to the Minerva firm.

Referring to an investigation report by former interior minister Rehman Malik over the flats, he said, that it was conducted in his personal capacity while he had been suspended from his office. "Rehman Malik had sent a copy of the report to the President and revealed it to media. But the report has no legal standing," he said, adding that it had earlier been rejected by the Lahore High Court. 

The hearing has been adjourned till February 16 (Thursday).

PTI unable to prove allegations: Marriyam Aurangzeb

Speaking to the media outside the Supreme Court, State Minister for Information Marriyam Aurangzeb said that so far no documents presented by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf contradict records presented by the Sharif family in the case.

PML-N leader Talal Chaudhry said that it had become PTI's habit to stage protests and sit-ins. He added that Imran Khan was using the Panama case for political point scoring.

Sharif family has no documents: Imran Khan

Speaking outside the Supreme Court, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan said that the Sharif family did not have documents to prove money trail for the London flats. 

He said attempts were being made to save the Prime Minister's daughter Maryam Nawaz along with the Prime Minister.