JIT frustratingly looking for an ‘approver’

ISLAMABAD: The JIT is trying to rope in Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif but not much has come out so far from the “key witnesses” summoned and questioned in long sessions.

Amid unconfirmed reports that the name of one of those witnesses summoned and questioned has been put on the ECL following JIT’s request, sources said that after Tariq Shafi, another witness -- Saeed Ahmad -- has now written to the Supreme Court of Pakistan to complain how he was insulted, threatened and coerced by the JIT.

Sources said that as the two-month tight deadline draws nearer, the challenge for the JIT becomes graver to find some incriminating evidence against the Sharif family.

What adds to the JIT’s frustration is the fact that it has not yet received any encouraging response from the members of the JIT are eager to get an “approver”.

“Why do you want to put head on chopper to save someone else?” a key witness was told by an aggressive JIT member. This correspondent talked to different sources in regard to the conduct of the JIT members and it was revealed that not all but only a few of them become unreasonable, disrespecting and even threatening.

Tariq Shafi, cousin of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, was the first one to allege in writing that a member of JIT, interrogating Panama Papers scam against the ruling family, has threatened him during the investigations to withdraw his affidavit that he had earlier submitted before the apex court. Otherwise, he said he was threatened that he will have to face penal consequences.

In his letter to the chairman JIT, Tariq Shafi had also alleged that yet another member of the JIT continued to threaten, intimidate, harass and browbeat him during 14 hours long marathon interrogation session on May 16, 2017.

The tale of another key witness Saeed Ahmad, President National Bank of Pakistan, was no different. He was summoned by the JIT, made to wait for five hours before being allowed into the interrogation room where he was rudely treated by two members of the JIT. He entered the judicial academy at around 10:30am in the morning and left at around 11:00 pm in the evening.

He was put under so much pressure to admit what he insisted before the JIT he had never done. Under these circumstances, according to sources, he was left with no option but to tell the JIT that let him sign a statement that suits the JIT but, he warned that his statement would end with the note that he wrote these lines under duress. Saeed Ahmad was alleged of having been involved in money laundering for Nawaz Sharif. It was said that he had helped Finance Minister Ishaq Dar in money laundering, the allegation he strongly rejected before the JIT.

Sources said that Saeed later wrote to the Supreme Court about how he was treated by the JIT. He told the SC, “I was at the Judicial Academy for 12 hours. The long wait during appearances and particularly the first five hours wait was very unnerving. I do realize that I was there for a criminal investigation as a witness but it seems I was being punished as a condemned person. It is bad enough to have such a long wait on an ordinary day but such an experience during the month of Ramazan, it was very testing.

“I understand that the Court has ruled that all those who appear in front of JIT should be treated with respect. However, I felt that during questioning I was insulted, threatened and subjected to undue pressure. If complete recording of the interview is available, it will be very obvious from there. I may not be able to discuss the nature of the questions and their relevance to the investigation due to confidentiality, but I thought I should bring to the kind notice of the honourable judges the treatment that I received to be put on record through your good offices.”

Javed Kayani, yet another key witness, too had real hard time before the JIT. According to an unconfirmed source before he was summoned and made to appear before the JIT, his name was recommended for putting on the ECL. Kayani, the sources said, had three long sessions with the JIT.

These sources said that while Kayani was sitting in a waiting room, one of the JIT members came to him and allegedly told him to become an approver. Kayani was upset but he too later in his last session with the JIT told the investigators that if he was coerced, he would speak to the media.

Javed Kayani is said to be a friend of Nawaz Sharif and was alleged to have, on August 26, 1992, opened three fake accounts in the names of Sulman Zia, Muhammad Ramzan and Asghar Ali at Habib Bank AG Zurich branch in Lahore. The FIA found that these three individuals did not exist and fake identity cards were used to open the said accounts.

According to these allegations, large sums of money were transferred from these accounts to Sheikh Saeed Muhammad, a close friend of Nawaz Sharif, based in Washington, DC. Javed Kayani, the alleged individual behind the opening of fake accounts, is said to be the nephew of Sheikh Saeed Muhammad. Javed Kayani was also alleged of opening additionally three more accounts at the Bank of America, Lahore, in the name Kashif Masood Qazi, Sikander Masood Qazi and Nuzhat Masood Qazi. According to media reports, Kayani has already been cleared from these allegations by the court of law.

To be fair with the JIT members, it is said, the case referred to them cannot be justly probed within 60 days. Not only the case is complicated but it involved four foreign jurisdictions. A member of the JIT is reported by a source to have commented that how could the JIT do the job in 60 days when the Supreme Court took six months to decide the case.

While it is yet to be seen how foreign authorities will be helpful to the JIT in its probe, Qatari prince’s two-para response was not really encouraging. In his response, former Prime Minister of Qatar Prince Hamad bin Jassim confirmed his earlier letter produced before the apex court.

Sources said Prince Jassim in his response told the JIT that he confirms and verifies the letter and its content. He added that since he had confirmed and verified the content of the letter, therefore there is no requirement for his attendance in the proceedings of the JIT.