The unfolding drama of 12 Swiss cartons

LONDON/ISLAMABAD: The mystery surrounding the 12 controversial cartons full of critical evidence against Asif Ali Zardari and the late Benazir Bhutto, deepened on Tuesday as the boxes landed in London but disappeared, raising fears that the evidence may be destroyed quickly if not taken over by a responsible government agency.

Pakistan HC sources told The News in London that the boxes, which were removed in a clandestine operation from a Swiss lawyer’s office on Monday, had reached the posh Hampstead residence of Wajid Shamsul Hasan in the London area, although he officially denies any link with the operation.

These sources told The News that the 12 cartons were transported on Flight LX 338 from Zurich (ZRH) to London (LHR) on Tuesday. The sources confirmed that the Pakistan HC staff received the cartons after the flight arrived at Heathrow at 7:15 pm but they never arrived at the HC offices.

When Pak HC Wajid Shamsul Hasan was asked whether it was true that these 12 boxes of evidence had reached his home, he replied: “My official response is only this: that this record is in the Government of Pakistan’s custody in London.”

Earlier in another telephonic conversation when HC Wajid was asked why he visited the lawyer’s office in Geneva to receive the confidential evidence, he claimed that he was designated by the NAB for this purpose.

“The NAB has issued a clarification that the record was retrieved officially and has an archival value,” Wajid claimed, adding: “I was one of the NAB’s designated persons to retrieve this record.”

Wajid, however, was unable to explain why his visit to the Swiss lawyer’s office was mandatory while he was Pakistan’s High Commissioner in London when there was a separate permanent embassy of Pakistan in Switzerland with senior responsible diplomats.

Yet in a twist to this mysterious drama, Wajid’s claim was instantly rejected by NAB chairman Nawid Ahsan. He said that NAB had not nominated HC Wajid Shamsul Hasan to visit Geneva to retrieve this record.

“Why would we designate Mr Wajid for this job? We have nothing to do with the Pakistani missions abroad and you better approach the Foreign Office in this regard,” Ahsan remarked.

When asked why Wajid visited Geneva for this purpose, Ahsan simply said he didn’t know about this but NAB had not appointed or asked him for this job.

In another communication, the NAB chairman gave the following version: “The record was booked from Geneva for High Commission office in London. It should have been there.”

When asked to give reason why this record was being brought to Pakistan through Pakistan High Commission in London, the chairman said that London was the focal place for operations of the NAB in that region. He said that NAB prosecutor General Dr Danishwar Malik was with the record and he was trying to get in touch with him.

When told that according to sources in the Pakistan High Commission in London, the record had been moved to the residence of Wajid Shamsul Hasan, the NAB chairman insisted that it should be in the Pakistan High Commission.

He promised that it would reach Islamabad on the first available flight. Chairman Nawid repeatedly asserted that he was sure that record was safe in the custody of Danishwar Malik and it will reach Pakistan safely.

When Foreign Office Spokesman Abdul Basit was approached, he confirmed that there was a permanent Pakistani embassy in Switzerland. Basit also confirmed that there was permanent Pakistani mission to the United Nations in Geneva.

Basit also showed complete ignorance as to why Wajid visited Geneva to get these highly confidential documents in his capacity as Pakistan’s High Commissioner in London. When Basit was asked whether if the NAB had designated Wajid for this mission, he said that he was completely out of picture regarding these developments.

Wajid also told Ahmad Noorani that he had nothing to do with this issue and accompanied NAB’s chief prosecutor Dr Danishwar Malik because he was designated by the NAB. He, however, alleged that he was wrongly dubbed as an NRO beneficiary despite the fact that his name was ‘deleted’ from the NRO list. He said that a certain section of the media was targeting President Zardari without any reason.

NAB Charman Nawid Ahsan said that Dr Danishwar Malik went to Switzerland with his approval and that NAB was responsible for the safety of the record. Ahsan, however, said that he did not know why Wajid went there for this purpose.

The NAB officials said everything had been initiated and was going on according to the government’s plan and the NAB was asked and it sent its prosecutor

In London, The News learnt that the location of the boxes remained shrouded in mystery officially on Tuesday as the government machinery went in overdrive to deny any malicious intent.

Pakistan’s High Commissioner to the UK Wajid Shamsul Hasan completely took his hands off the operation and told Murtaza Shah of The News he was not aware where the 12 cartons had gone.

“I have stated it through a statement that they are National Accountability Bureau’s property and only the NAB can tell where these cartons were.”

Hasan was referring to the statement which was released on Tuesday night after Geo released the exclusive footage of Pakistan High Commissioner in London Wajid Shamsul Hasan and former Deputy Attorney General Danishwar Malik taking the cartons out out the chambers of Pakistani government’s appointed lawyer in Swiss cases.

Pakistan’s envoy was also asked whether the 12 cartons would be flown directly to Pakistan from Geneva. He confirmed that “as far I know these cartons will reach London in 2-3 days and from here (London) will be flown to Pakistan through a PIA flight.”

In sharp contrast to Hasan’s claims, The News can exclusively reveal that the 12 cartons have already reached London and Hasan’s statement only adds suspicions to the whole operation.

Well-placed sources told The News that the 12 cartons were transported on Flight LX 338 from Zurich (ZRH) to London (LHR) on Tuesday. The source confirmed that the Pakistan embassy staff received the high-value cartons after the flight arrived at Heathrow at 7:15 pm.

The NAB statement “clarified” the documents “have been retrieved as they are pubic property and of no use for anybody. Their value was archival after the cases had been closed. On the other hand, their continued retention with the lawyers entailed further payment to them in foreign exchange.” The statement denied the high commissioner was involved in a secret operation.

Hasan has maintained he left Geneva on Monday afternoon for London and was in complete dark as to where the cartons were headed to and who was handling them. “They are NAB’s property and the NAB has confirmed it. I have got nothing to do with these papers,” he said.

When asked whether the NAB had already arranged for these documents to be taken over to Pakistan or whether they will be kept in London, Hasan again said only NAB could answer it.