Panama JIT members return to Pakistan from Dubai

ISLAMABAD: Two members of the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) probing Panama Leaks case, have returned to Pakistan from Dubai early Wednesday morning, sources said.

There were reports that two JIT members Brigadier Kamran Khurshid of Military Intelligence and Irfan Mangi of National Accountability Bureau had reached Dubai from where they can easily reach Doha to record the statement of Qatari Prince Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber al Thani.

Sources said Brigadier Kamran and Irfan Mangi returned to Pakistan and arrived at Benazir International Airport at 7:00 Am via flight EK-0612.

There were also reports that the two JIT members, who are ‘invisible’ since Tuesday, had not reached Doha, the capital of Qatar, till late Tuesday. They also did not make any contact in this regard with Pakistani embassy in Doha or Qatari Prince Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber al Thani till late Tuesday night.

However, the Online news agency and other TV channels had reported that two JIT members have arrived in Doha to record the statement of Qatari prince.    

The news agency quoting sources reported that members of the JIT including Brigadier Kamran have reached Doha where they will question the Qatari prince. The members are expected to return immediately after recording the statement of the Qatari prince.

Earlier TV reports suggested that the JIT has decided to send its one member to Qatar on July 6 to record statement of Qatari Prince Hamad bin Jassim in the context of his two letters submitted in the Supreme Court during the hearing of the Panama Leaks case.

Reports said the JIT reviewed the latest proposal by the Qatari prince and decided that one member will go to Qatar and record his statement in his office. The JIT members discussed in detail the letter of the Qatari prince handed over to them by the officials of the Foreign Affairs Ministry on Monday.

Sources told The News that a questionnaire had been prepared for the Qatari prince that revolves around the money trail related to the purchase of the London Mayfair flats. "The member of the JIT will record statement of the Qatari prince in his office instead of the Pakistani embassy in Doha," said the sources.

The JIT had proposed that Prince Hamad bin Jassim could appear before the JIT or record his statement through video link or his statement might be recorded by the JIT in Qatar. But the Qatari prince rejected the three options put forward by the JIT for recording his statement, saying that his letter was enough.

The sources said the Qatari prince in his latest letter has stated that the royal family member has no issues if investigators visit him in Doha to record his statement.