Says Panama case verdict is not a split decision; SC judges will supervise JIT work; Pakistan does not have agreements with countries having tax havens; Zardari’s lectures on honesty signs of Judgment Day
RAWALPINDI: Rejecting the criticism of the opposition parties, Minister for Interior Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Friday said all the five justices of the Supreme Court agreed on the formation of a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to probe the accused in PanamaLeaks case.
He said the Supreme Court judges would supervise the JIT work.
He said the Supreme Court verdict in the Panama case was not a split decision but with consensus.
He said Pakistan did not have agreements with countries having tax havens to get documents related to the Panama case.
He said the court decision should not be used for doing politics.
He said PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari’s lectures to others on morality and honesty were the signs of the Judgment Day.
Talking to media persons here, Nisar lambasted the former president for lecturing others and issuing certificates of honesty on articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution.
The minister said it was the only time in the history of the country when Asif Zardari was convicted by the Swiss courts.
He said the decision of the Supreme Court in the Panama Papers case must be accepted by everyone and there should be no public trial of the verdict.
"People are giving strange and illogical arguments about the verdict. I think the decision of Supreme Court is still sub-judice, as the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) is being formed for further investigation," he said.
He said the court would give its final verdict on the basis of evidence and not allegations and added all the five judges of the bench were unanimous on the formation of the JIT.
"Let's leave it up to the apex court to decide on the issue, as the JIT report will be submitted to it after the probe," Nisar said.
He said courts do not follow someone's wishes but the law and the Constitution.
“Some folks out there are putting forward weird kind of logic after the Panama Papers case verdict. The matter is still in court; let the Supreme Court decide the fate of the case," Nisar said.
He said the prime minister had also issued a clear direction to the cabinet members that no adverse comments should be made about the verdict.
He said every judge had his opinion or right of view and the decision should be left to the judges.
Chaudhry Nisar said the government was fully committed to respect the judgement of the Supreme Court and implement it in letter and spirit.
The minister said the opposition had repeatedly been demanding the formation of the JIT but now some of them are objecting to it, expressing surprise that leader of a party with proverbial corruption record was giving sermons on morality.
Replying to a question, Chaudhry Nisar said some people were trying to create confusion, as they did not want any decision of the case, rather they wanted anarchy.
To a question, the minister expressed the hope that he would get the report of the DawnLeaks either on coming Monday or Tuesday and it would then be submitted to the prime minister.
He said the government had been under attack ever since it came to power and mentioned sit-ins which were started a few months after it started work.
"Our performance should be compared with the previous government on matters of security and improved economy. Despite difficulties being faced by us, we will continue to move ahead," he said.
He said it was the federal government which initiated the operation against militants in Karachi, but it was unfortunate that after every three months the role of the Rangers was made controversial.
He said the people of Pakistan acknowledged the improved security situation in Karachi.
To a question about loadshedding, the minister said the government was making all out efforts to enhance power generation through different means and around 6,000MW electricity was expected to be added to the national grid by December this year to help control loadshedding and provide relief to the people.
Earlier, the minister visited under-construction 500-bed Wah General Hospital.
The hospital would be the biggest and the best hospital of not only Wah and Taxila, but also of the entire Rawalpindi Division.
