Panamagate Case: SC demands details of money transfer through banks

ISLAMABAD (92 News) – The Supreme Court has on Wednesday said that there is contradiction between the speeches of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and the statements submitted in the court. A five-member bench of the Supreme Court headed by Justice Asif Saeed Khosa resumed hearing the Panama Leaks case on Wednesday. During the proceedings, presenting his arguments, the prime minister’s lawyer Makhdoom Ali Khan said that money transfers between his client and his children took place through proper banking channels. The court asked if the money was transferred through bank accounts then why any attested record was not submitted in the court. “You must have submitted documents in the court along with the reply,” he added. He submitted that Hussain Nawaz owns a genuine business in Saudi Arabia which is capable of generating funds. The counsel said that Hussain Nawaz sends money to his father as per the Saudi laws and banking channels. Makhdoom Ali Khan said that his client is not owner of any offshore companies and that he is a regular tax payer. The counsel said Maryam Nawaz is not dependent on his client. He also said that allegations of tax evasion against the prime minister are baseless. Earlier, Maryam Nawaz Sharif, daughter of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had on Tuesday (yesterday) submitted reply and additional documents in the Supreme Court. In her reply, Maryam Nawaz said that she is dependent on her father since her marriage. She further stated that her spouse also pays his taxes regularly. She further said that she paid Rs 5 million under joint expenditure in year 2013, while Rs 6 million were paid in year 2014 and 2015. She detailed that out of 384 kanals of Shamim Agri farms, 364 kanals were being supervised by her grandmother Shamim Akhter. “I paid more than Rs 12 million as tax in 2016’ she clarified in her response. In his arguments, Makhdoom Ali Khan said that under Article 66 of the constitution, the Prime Minister’s speech in the parliament has immunity to which the top court remarked that that was not a usual speech but Nawaz Sharif had presented his stance on a important issue. The court adjourned the hearing till tomorrow (Thursday).