Racing against time: JIT to take only one day off on Eid to meet deadline

ISLAMABAD: Head of the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) Wajid Zia on Thursday said that they would take only one Eid day off and continue their work in next two Eid days keeping in view the instructions of the Supreme Court to submit its final report by July 10.

Talking briefly to media while walking into the Supreme Court head of JIT Wajid Zia said they would take one day break on first day of Eid and continue their work on next two days of Eid-ul-Fitr.

It is pertinent to mention here that on May 22, the JIT presented its first progress report to the Panama verdict implementing bench of Supreme Court of Pakistan. On June 7, JIT head, Wajid Zia submitted its second report to the court and highlighted the problems faced by the JIT in the investigation process. The Supreme Court showed satisfaction over the two previous reports that the JIT, which is now drowned in deep controversy due to its several actions, submitted to it. These findings have not been publicly released to maintain secrecy of the investigation process.

The sources said the JIT members spent much time in last few days to review and analyse the statements of the prime minister, his sons--Hussain Nawaz and Hassan Nawaz--and the Punjab chief minister besides thoroughly studying the reports and material provided by Security and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).The sources said the JIT would seek viewpoint of Finance Minister Ishaq Dar over his confessional statement given before a magistrate on April 25, 2000 in which he alleged that the Sharif brothers used the Hudaibya Paper Mills as cover for money laundering during the late 1990s.

They said the JIT rejected Captain (retd) Safdar’s application of changing the date of his hearing and ordered the prime minister’s son-in-law to appear on June 24 as per the initial orders.