Chronology of events from Panama verdict to JIT formation

ISLAMABAD: As the media is abuzz with the news of Whatsapp calls by Supreme Court Registrar to heads of institutions for inclusion of certain members in the Joint Investigation Team constituted to probe the affairs regarding the offshore companies of Sharifs, here is the chronology of events from announcement of Panama case judgment to formation of JIT.

The nominees of two institutions, State Bank of Pakistan and Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan, were rejected by the five judges of Panama case bench and later the implementation bench of the SC comprising of three judges from the same bench, formally trashed the nominees, added the desired members and constituted the JIT.

The five-member bench of the Supreme Court announced a 3-2 verdict in Panama case on April 20th with an order to National Accountability Bureau, Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan, State Bank of Pakistan, Federal Investigation Agency, Inter Services Intelligence and Military Intelligence to submit names for JIT within seven days.

The judgement of the SC was conveyed to the institutions by 22nd April. By April 27th, all the names had reached the Supreme Court. On April 28th, SBP and SECP documented receiving Whatsapp call from Registrar Supreme Court for inclusion of names of Amir Aziz and Bilal Rasool respectively for the panel of names sent to SC to form the JIT. The call was later confirmed to have been made by the SC Registrar.

The Supreme Court in its April 20th decision had written that the ‘heads of the aforesaid departments/institutions shall recommend the names of their nominees for the JIT within seven days from today which shall be placed before us in chambers for nomination and approval’.

The SBP and SECP did not include the names of Amir Aziz and Bilal Rasool in the panel of nominees for JIT. Prima facie from the order of the panama bench, it were the five judges of the panama bench who were to agree on the names for JIT but no decision came until implementation bench was formed.

On May 2nd the Chief Justice of Pakistan formed an implementation bench for Panama case judgement. The bench on May 3rd, in its first hearing rejected the nominees of SBP and SECP and called for the list of all employees of grade 18 and above. The list was provided thereof, and on May 5th, the SC constituted the JIT for Panama Papers case. The JIT comprised of the same two members from SBP and SECP whose names were sought by the SC Registrar via Whatsapp calls.