ISLAMABAD: In the Accountability Court (AC), hearing refrences against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his children filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) head Wajid Zia continued with his cross-examination the fourth hearing. He admitted that the documents the JIT received from the Supreme Court regarding establishment of Gulf Steel Mills (GSM) and its sale, it did not verify authenticity of the documents despite the fact that two of the JIT members also travelled to Dubai for the purpose of investigation.
The JIT was only confined to the answer the questions raised by the apex court, Zia said. At one instance, Wajid Zia said that the documents submitted to the Supreme Court, he is not privy if the SC verified those documents or not. At this, counsel for Nawaz Sharif, Khawaja Haris Ahmad, commented wasn’t that the purpose of forming JIT?
Answering advocate Haris questions, Wajid Zia said that the JIT did not get verification of any document pertaining to the establishment of GSM, itssale of shares to Abdullah Kayed Ahli and then GSM’s turning into Ahli Steel Mill. The investigation team also did not get verification of the documents pertaining to the professional licence, land lease, land rent agreement, site plan and work place from Dubai authorities.
As consequential to the cross-examination, Khawaja Haris pointed out several loopholes in the investigation headed by Zia, who is now deposing before the AC as star prosecution witness.
To a question about a reply by the Dubai authorities after the JIT forwarded to them an application for mutual legal assistance (MLA), Zia said that the JIT members who visited Dubai did not make any effort to find out who were the officials of Dubai court system, Dubai Customs and Central Bank who provided relevant information on the basis of which the Ministry of Justice, Dubai, replied the JIT’s MLA. The two members did not check veracity of the documents they had received from the Supreme Court, Zia said. He added that the JIT’s first MLA seeking information regarding the establishment of GSM in 1970 is still awaited to be replied.
The second MLA that was responded by the UAE authorities does not carry the reference number of JIT’s letter and date it was sent, and the investigation team also did not search that provided input to the UAE’s Ministry of Justice. The JIT also did not find any record of correspondence between the UAE’s Ministry of Justice and Dubai court system, custom and Central Bank.
Questions about the need to verify the documents, Zia said that the JIT presumed documents submitted to the Supreme Court as authentic and the JIT only focused to answer the questions raised by the Supreme Court.
Haris posed a question to him that it was important and relevant for the Supreme Court to know that after the 1978 share sale agreement of the GSM, who became shareholder and what percentage was allocated to each shareholder. To this, Zia replied that these were relevant questions.
He, however, admitted that the two partners of GSM, Tariq Shafi and Muhammad Hussain, were permitted by the Dubai government to set up the company for manufacturing steel from scrap as per the land lease documents.
Answering questions about the sale of GSM and its conversion into Ahli Steel Mills, Zia said neither the JIT investigated if the business continued under the new management after the sale of 75 per cent shares nor any witness said so. Only Nawaz Sharif was relevant witness of Ahli Steel Mills, but he did not talk about it.
Zia also admitted that Nawaz Sharif as per his own statement and also statements of the witnesses never took any part in the Gulf Steel Mills, and he also did not receive any money from the share sales agreements. Zia further admitted that Nawaz Sharif only twice visited Dubai after the establishment of GSM.
Khawaja Haris also got annoyed at the answers of Zia, who, in reply to every question, added explanation. Haris suggested the court to install cameras for recording the proceedings. Further hearing will be today (Tuesday).
Gilani gave floor to Leader of Opposition Syed Shibli Faraz, who insisted that with unity they could take country...
Match witnessed intense action and dramatic twists, keeping fans on the edge of their seats until the final ball
Apex court bench was reconstituted after Justice Yahya Afridi recused himself from hearing the case earlier this month
ECP issued a notification in this connection pursuant to orders passed by LHC
Party leaders claimed that it was a story of resilience as the fabulous 28 years of PTI’s struggle changed Pakistan...
Establishment Division has issued notification of postings and transfers
