ISLAMABAD - Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif while recording his statement in Al-Azizia reference on Monday filed answers to 148 questions raised by an accountability court.

The court instructed the former premier to file answers to the remaining questions on Tuesday (today)

recording his statement, Nawaz got emotional and stated, “Children all over the world use to study and build businesses in foreign countries; what wonder has happened if my children while living abroad sent me some money. I have served this country as PM. If my children use to do business in Pakistan, it becomes issue; if they do business out of Pakistan; even then it panics some.”

 “I could not understand till today as to why this case was made. Even the prosecution does not know why this case was being made”, he said, adding that his children had made a right decision to do businesses out of Pakistan.

He continued: “I was in politics having no time to look after family businesses. My father was doing business even before my birth.”

A NAB prosecutor while raising objections to Nawaz dialogue with the judge, said that the case was not about business in a foreign country but the case related as to how the business in a foreign country was built. Nawaz replied that his children might have been doing business in Pakistan if the government had not exiled Sharif family in 1971 and 1999.

He said: “We did not go abroad in 1999 with our own consent. Had my children not started business abroad, should we have begged alms there?” He added that being public office holder, he did not embezzle any funds.

“I did not commit any corruption to facilitate my children abroad. The prosecution had no evidence. I could not understand what they wanted to prove against me,” he said, adding that his father Mian Sharif was in business before formation of Pakistan in 1937.

He also added that a statement recorded before an investigative agency could not be presented as evidence to the court. He said that JIT findings were biased and collected without ‘substantial’ evidence.

Replying to queries of the court, Nawaz said that Hassan Nawaz was forced to exile after completion of his education. He said his children with assistance of their grandfather established their businesses abroad. Hassan Nawaz got British nationality during the period, he added.

On this, the judge enquired that did Hassan Nawaz own dual nationality, to which Sharif said that his son owned dual nationality and got tax exemption on stay of six months out of the UK. Nawaz also pleaded to the court to dismiss evidence as collected by the Panama JIT. He said that the JIT was nothing other than an investigative agency.

Later, Nawaz Sharif sought additional time to file answers to the last four questions. On intention of Nawaz, the court allowed one day relaxation for him to submit answers.

The assistant lawyer of defence counsel Khawaja Harris moved a plea in the court to allow Nawaz to file answers to the remaining questions on November 22.  On this, the judge Malik remarked that additional time could not be given as the questionnaire had already been given to them. The judge added that the court will also reply to Sharif’s query as to why this case was filed against him. The judge also summoned investigative officer of Flagship reference in the court today.