ISLAMABAD: Though they have been in politics for over last 35 years, the Sharif family--if the JIT report is to be believed--appeared incoherent, totally confused and unprepared before the Joint Investigation Team as not only their statements were not aligned with each other, but, on a few occasions, the JIT caught them lying in the official record submitted to it.
The JIT has documented contradictions in the statements of the Sharif family presenting them as naïve and unprepared for the obvious questions. A bare reading of the JIT report depicts that only Sharifs are to be blamed for a negative report against them because either they took it too easy or were not prepared for a tough and through probe which caught them giving contradictory statements, making a laughable stuff of themselves.
On one occasion, Maryam Nawaz showed in her financial record that she sold a BMW in 2012-13 whereas her husband has told the Election Commission of Pakistan that the couple owned the same BMW till 2016.
The JIT report states that Hassan Nawaz is on record stating that he has neither seen nor aware of the existence of a spreadsheet attached by Qatari prince with his letter, let alone be its contents. Whereas Hussain Nawaz stated that it was in late 2005 that he came to know about the details of the transactions made previously on the instructions of Mian Muhammad Sharif during the process of so called settlement with Al-Thani.
Hassan Nawaz, in his statement before the JIT, explained that Hussain Nawaz had sent him about 2.4 million GBP to help him set up his business without disclosing the source where the money was coming from. He confirmed that he did not receive money from anywhere else. Hussain Nawaz , on the other hand, in his statement said that after discussion of the expenditures already with Nasir Khamis (representative of Mr Thani), he had sent a fax of the spread sheet to Hassan Nawaz to confirm this transaction.
Hassan Nawaz, in his statement, however, assuredly stated that he never remained involved, saw or possessed any documents/record, which related to Qatari Prince or Mayfair properties. The JIT has documented some inconsistencies in the record of Maryam Nawaz. It states that as per the details of financial records of Ittefaq Sugar Mills Limited with SECP, Maryam Nawaz owned 55,000 shares in years 2001-2003 and 2010- 2013; however, she did not declare these shares in the wealth statement for the assessment said years. As per financial records of CSML with SECP, Maryam Safdar owned 12,401,455 in year 2010; however, she declared 5,401,455 shares in the wealth statement for the assessment year 2009-2010; amounts to concealment of assets and tax evasion.
“Maryam owned a BMW car which was gifted to her by UAE Royal Family and value of the car was declared Rs3.5 million in the tax year 2009-10, but the same car was sold for Rs19.66 million in 2011-12. In the return of Personal Assets filed with the ECP, Maryam’s husband Muhammad Safdar declared ownership of the same BMW in 2013-2016 whereas Maryam Safdar declared that she sold the car for Rs28.164 million in the year 2011-12. Similarly, Mian Nawaz Sharif declared in his personal returns land worth 24.85 million in the name of Maryam Safdar whereas Maryam did not declare it in her wealth statement in 2010-2011.”
In his statement, Mian Shahbaz Sharif stated before the JIT that he does not know whether proceeds from investment with Qatari Prince were used by Hassan Nawaz for establishment of his businesses in UK. Discrepancies were also found in the letter of Qatari Prince and Tariq Shafi.