Inside story: Hussain Nawaz’s two hours with JIT

ISLAMABAD: Sources confided that the first encounter between the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) and prime minister’s son on Sunday was unpleasant where Hussain Nawaz was not allowed to be assisted by the counsel despite several requests.

The JIT probing offshore properties of the Sharif family in line with the verdict of the Supreme Court (SC) in the Panama Leaks case interrogated Hussain Nawaz at the Federal Judicial Academy (FJA) for over two hours.

The JIT, during the course of hearing, observed that the probing team was legal until the apex court gives verdict on the objections raised by Hussain Nawaz on the two JIT members.

In his petition filed with the SC, he had already cast doubts on impartiality of two of the JIT members -- Bilal Rasool (SECP) and Amir Aziz (SBP) -- and the court is set to hear this petition today.

Sources said that both the members were angry with the petitioner over his objections on them. They added that the JIT was not prepared for the interrogation as two of its members joined after almost an hour.

Hussain Nawaz did not submit any documents and recorded his statement over the questions raised by the JIT members. When the JIT will formally provide him with the questionnaire, he will submit documentary evidence and other related material along with a written reply carrying details about property and business affairs, the sources said.

They said Hussain Nawaz gave verbal answers to the questions raised by the JIT members, mostly regarding tax returns of the London flats. The sources said, "After spending almost two hours before the JIT, Hussain Nawaz left in his car from the rear gate of the Federal Judicial Academy."

The sources said Hussain Nawaz also spent some time with other senior lawyers at the Prime Minister's House where they discussed various aspects of the investigation being held in line with the directives of the three-member bench of the Supreme Court.