ISLAMABAD - The grilling of the chairmen of FBR and NAB by the judges during first half of Panamagate case hearing on Tuesday brought similes on the faces of the petitioners but those were worrisome moments for the PML-N leaders and their counsels.
The second part of the hearing however was irritating for the PTI leaders when the Attorney General of Pakistan argued that the court should show restriction in its jurisdiction under Article 184(3) of constitution.
Grilling the heads of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), the court made some very strong observations.
“If we give observation in the judgment against the gentleman [NAB chairman] then he would not survive and this may travel upward. Every action of this case will have far reaching affect,” said Justice Asif Saeed Khan Khosa.
The chairmen’s inaction to proceed against the prime minister and his family invited court fury. Though both the officers were accompanied by their lawyers, the judges asked questions from them directly.
Imran Khan, Jehnagir Tareen and Sheikh Rashid stood in their seats and were amused when the court was questioning the chiefs of FBR and NAB.
FBR Chairman Dr Muhammad Irshad said notices have been issued to 344 persons, but they were still in process of verifying the names that had appeared in the Panama leaks yet were not living in Pakistan.
Hussain Nawaz and Hassan Nawaz, the two sons of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif who are at the centre of the case, are among the person who own offshore companies but are non-residents.
PM’s daughter Mariam Safdar denies having any property abroad or owning an offshore company, the FBR chairman informed the court.
Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed wondered that in the modern era when information from any part of world could be collected in hours the FBR was unable to gather it despite lapse of almost one year.
Dr Irshad, who assumed charge of the FBR chairman a month ago, kept on saying “we are making efforts” but did not produce a single document.
The PML-N ministers and the defence counsels were seen feeling a bit uneasy when the chairmen of FBR and NAB failed to answer most of the court queries.
During the court interval, the PTI and the PML-N workers and the anchors of some television channels in groups discussed the proceeding and possible outcome of the case.
The PTI supporters believe the five-member bench’s judgment would be against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
The other side thinks otherwise and strongly feels that the court would refer the matter to a commission for investigation as the apex court could not embark upon the investigation itself.
The PM’s children’s counsels say they have done their part and now it was up to the court to decide the case.
The court is likely to reserve the judgment after the petitioners’ rebuttal.
NAB Chairman Qamar Zaman Chaudhry’s stand is that they cannot move unless the regulator approached them.
It prompted judges to question who the regulator was – whether it was the chief executive of the country who had appointment him or someone else.
To pacify the bench members, Qamar Zaman stated the regulator was the apex court and the people of Pakistan.
NAB chairman was recalcitrant to challenge the Lahore High Court judgment, which quashed the NAB reference against the Sharif family in Hudaibiya Paper Mills Limited case.
The decision not to file appeal had been made by the committee and on the legal advice of prosecutor general, he told the court.
The court warned him of the legal consequence for not filing the appeal against the high court judgment.
But he categorically told the court: “I stand by my view.”
The court observed as the statutory bodies did not perform its functions assigned to them under the law therefore the court has to do extraordinary job in hearing this case.
The court instead of assurances wants that “action speak louder than words”.
The court may summon the chairmen of NAB and FBR again, hinted Justice Khosa.
The chief law officer of the country proposed to club the petitions of Hanif Abbasi against the PTI Chairman Imran Khan and secretary-general Jehangir Tareen, which also involve similar questions.
Attorney General for Pakistan Ashtar Ausaf also questioned the locus standi of the petitioners.
The AGP has been asked to conclude his arguments in the first half of proceedings on Wednesday.
After the AGP, petitioners’ counsels would argue in rebuttal.
As the court would like to conclude the case on Thursday, it might not consider thousands of documents submitted by petitioners, including Imran Khan’s 24-page affidavit.
The prime minister and his children’s counsels on Tuesday also filed joint application requesting the court to reject the PTI and Sheikh Rashid applications for filing additional documents.
They asked the court that if the petitioners’ application for additional documents is accepted then the case should be adjourned for eight weeks.
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Imran Khan, Jehnagir Tareen and Sheikh Rashid stood in their seats and were amused when the court was questioning the chiefs of FBR and NAB.
FBR Chairman Dr Muhammad Irshad said notices have been issued to 344 persons, but they were still in process of verifying the names that had appeared in the Panama leaks yet were not living in Pakistan.
Hussain Nawaz and Hassan Nawaz, the two sons of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif who are at the centre of the case, are among the person who own offshore companies but are non-residents.
PM’s daughter Mariam Safdar denies having any property abroad or owning an offshore company, the FBR chairman informed the court.
Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed wondered that in the modern era when information from any part of world could be collected in hours the FBR was unable to gather it despite lapse of almost one year.
Dr Irshad, who assumed charge of the FBR chairman a month ago, kept on saying “we are making efforts” but did not produce a single document.
The PML-N ministers and the defence counsels were seen feeling a bit uneasy when the chairmen of FBR and NAB failed to answer most of the court queries.
During the court interval, the PTI and the PML-N workers and the anchors of some television channels in groups discussed the proceeding and possible outcome of the case.
The PTI supporters believe the five-member bench’s judgment would be against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
The other side thinks otherwise and strongly feels that the court would refer the matter to a commission for investigation as the apex court could not embark upon the investigation itself.
The PM’s children’s counsels say they have done their part and now it was up to the court to decide the case.
The court is likely to reserve the judgment after the petitioners’ rebuttal.
NAB Chairman Qamar Zaman Chaudhry’s stand is that they cannot move unless the regulator approached them.
It prompted judges to question who the regulator was – whether it was the chief executive of the country who had appointment him or someone else.
To pacify the bench members, Qamar Zaman stated the regulator was the apex court and the people of Pakistan.
NAB chairman was recalcitrant to challenge the Lahore High Court judgment, which quashed the NAB reference against the Sharif family in Hudaibiya Paper Mills Limited case.
The decision not to file appeal had been made by the committee and on the legal advice of prosecutor general, he told the court.
The court warned him of the legal consequence for not filing the appeal against the high court judgment.
But he categorically told the court: “I stand by my view.”
The court observed as the statutory bodies did not perform its functions assigned to them under the law therefore the court has to do extraordinary job in hearing this case.
The court instead of assurances wants that “action speak louder than words”.
The court may summon the chairmen of NAB and FBR again, hinted Justice Khosa.
The chief law officer of the country proposed to club the petitions of Hanif Abbasi against the PTI Chairman Imran Khan and secretary-general Jehangir Tareen, which also involve similar questions.
Attorney General for Pakistan Ashtar Ausaf also questioned the locus standi of the petitioners.
The AGP has been asked to conclude his arguments in the first half of proceedings on Wednesday.
After the AGP, petitioners’ counsels would argue in rebuttal.
As the court would like to conclude the case on Thursday, it might not consider thousands of documents submitted by petitioners, including Imran Khan’s 24-page affidavit.
The prime minister and his children’s counsels on Tuesday also filed joint application requesting the court to reject the PTI and Sheikh Rashid applications for filing additional documents.
They asked the court that if the petitioners’ application for additional documents is accepted then the case should be adjourned for eight weeks.