History being made as PM appears before JIT today

ISLAMABAD: History is being made as Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif appears before the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to record his statement today.  The JIT is carrying out investigations into the Panama Leaks case in line with the directions of the Supreme Court.

During the JIT investigations, the prime minister will reply to 13 questions raised by the Supreme Court. According to observers, the supremacy of law will be stamped on the country.  Sources said the decision to appear before the probe team was taken by the prime minister due to his firm commitment to the supremacy of law despite the fact that various social and political quarters are raising their reservations about the conduct of the JIT.

As far as the security arrangements are concerned, Inspector General of Islamabad Police Muhammad Khalid Khattak has ordered provision of security to the prime minister according to the Blue Book due to which a large number of personnel of police, traffic police, Special Branch, FC and Rangers would be deployed and snipers would also take positions on rooftops of the buildings around the Federal Judicial Academy.

"The route plan of the prime minister will not be disclosed and his short travel from the Prime Minister's House to the Federal Judicial Academy will be monitored from a special control room set up in the interior ministry," the sources said. 

The Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI) has removed bushes from the park in front of the Federal Judicial Academy and planted new colorful plants. The office of Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal has been closed and policemen have been deployed to restrict the movement of the people in this area. 

Banners with slogans in support of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif have been placed on the roads leading towards the Federal Judicial Academy and Director of CDA's DMA Ali Sufyan was personally monitoring the staff entrusted with this 'task'.

The road maintenance wing of the CDA also repaired all the damaged roads in the H-8/4 Sector and filled patches on various spots while the cleanliness work on the roads was also carried out using water tankers.

The JIT also held an important meeting on Tuesday and reviewed security arrangements at the Federal Judicial Academy prior to the appearance of the prime minister before the probe body. 

The sources said the JIT is also seriously pondering over the proposal of Qatari Prince Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani in which he has shown his willingness to record his statement before the JIT but maintained that for this purpose the probe team would have to travel to Qatar as he could not come to Pakistan in near future due to some prior engagements. 

The sources said the Qatari prince is hesitant to come to Pakistan to record his statement before the JIT due to the behaviour reportedly meted out to the witnesses who were 'forced' to wait for hours at the Federal Judicial Academy during the investigation into the Panama Leaks case.

The sources said the JIT is likely to take decision about the proposal of the Qatari Prince next week after the appearance of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif before the probe body. 

They said the Qatari prince may write a third letter to the JIT in which he would urge to initiate the diplomatic process through the embassies of Pakistan and Qatar to set the time-frame for recording of his statement in Qatar.