Why Sharif family has reservations about some JIT members

ISLAMABAD: The pent-up strong sentiments of knowledgeable official quarters about certain members of the Joint Investigation Team (JIT), constituted by the Supreme Court to inquire into some business dealings of the Sharif family, have now been publicly voiced, loudly expressing no confidence in these nominees. The negative views were withheld to first see and evaluate how the JIT proceeds in the matter. However, after a dozen sessions of the JIT, the Sharif family has come to the conclusion that it is time to articulate its serious reservations about at least two members – Amir Aziz, who represents the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), and Bilal Rasool, who was inducted in the team from the Security Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP).

The prime minister’s son, Hussain, has formally objected to the two officials by submitting an application with the apex court while his cousin, Tariq Shafi, has registered a complaint with JIT head Wajid Zia, a copy of which has also been sent to the court registrar, against what he believed the harsh behaviour of the team during his questioning.

“I am not a habitual criminal nor has any criminal record. The JIT should be stopped from insulting me,” Tariq Shafi said in his prayer. Informed circles told The News that Bilal Rasool is a nephew of former president of the Pakistan Muslim League-Q (PML-Q) and ex-governor of Punjab Mian Mohammad Azhar, who joined the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) a couple of years back. Mian Azhar had been a great family friend of the Sharifs, worked with them in the political field and remained associated with the PML-N for a long time. However, he, like many others, left the Sharifs after imposition of martial law in October 1999 and became the trusted ally of Pervez Musharraf. His son is a candidate for the office of the president of the PTI Lahore.

A female activist of the same family used to be present in prolonged 2014 sit-in of the PTI at the D-Chowk Islamabad. Hours after the JIT was formed on May 5, she deactivated her Facebook account. It can’t be retrieved by common users. Previously, she was affiliated with the PML-Q.

Record shows that Bilal Rasool’s wife was a candidate of the PML-Q for a special seat of the Punjab Assembly in 2013. At the time, Mian Azhar was still associated though loosely with this party and had not then joined the PTI.

Bilal Rasool’s late father Dr Ghulam Rasool was an economist and academic, and worked for the World Bank and the finance ministry.

The defendants also have serious reservations about another JIT member, Amir Aziz, for having been awarded a medal by Pervez Musharraf for investigating some cases during his era while working in the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). These included the Sharifs’ Hudaibia Paper Mills, which frequently echoed during proceedings in the Panama case in the Supreme Court, in which he had given his expert advice.

A basic reason behind raising objection to Amir Aziz’s inclusion in the JIT is the award that Musharraf had bestowed upon him for his performance, and thus being close to the dictator he has been considered against the Sharifs.

“We knew since day one that the JIT is heavily loaded against the Sharif family,” said a senior PML-N leader. “But still we wanted to see how it goes ahead. After watching its tilt against us, we have to register our grievances against the JIT.”

Eyebrows were also raised in the PML-N over the nomination of some same persons in the present JIT who were earlier part of the committee that had looked into the DawnLeak. However, so far they have held back their objections over their incorporation in the instant JIT.

The current JIT is different from similar forums because it has been directly formed by the Supreme Court and is working under its supervision. It is required to report to the court only and seek guidance, if and when necessary, from it. Other JITs are established by the executive authorities, which report their findings to them.

For being answerable to the Supreme Court alone, the present JIT is more powerful and influential. The Executive is in no position to influence it. However, those who face questioning have the legal right to express their grievances, reservations and objections over any JIT. In normal cases, police investigators are frequently replaced with others when the accused or complainants expressed their no-trust in them. Senior police officers immediately take a decision when they receive complaints about any set of investigators to satisfy the concerned parties.