ISLAMABAD: Ahead of today’s Supreme Court hearing in the Panama Papers case, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and its ally the Awami Muslim League of Sheikh Rashid Ahmed on Monday submitted volumes of evidence that purportedly establish that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif allegedly laundered money to pay for his London properties.

The PTI and the AML chief are two of the four parties, hearing on whose petitions will be resumed by a five-judge Supreme Court bench, headed by Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali. The court is currently considering whether or not to appoint a judicial commission to probe the Panamagate scandal.

Conspicuously, the counsel representing the prime minister and his children did not file any evidence before the court. However, an application was moved on behalf of Maryam, Hassan and Hussain Nawaz for a change of counsel from Salman Aslam Butt to Mohammad Akram Sheikh and Aizid Nafees.

Mr Butt earlier represented the prime minister, his three children as well as his son-in-law retired Capt Mohammad Safdar. Legal experts believe that the respondents may submit evidence to disprove the allegations levelled in the petitions against them early on Tuesday morning, or seek further time to furnish the same.

PM’s children request for change of counsel

But Sheikh Rashid described the changing of counsel as an attempt to further delay proceedings on the part of the prime minister’s family.

Talking to reporters while initialling each leaf of his 600-page tome of evidence, Sheikh Rashid appeared confident that the Supreme Court would dispense justice. He expressed the apprehension that Nawaz Sharif may cause irreparable damage to himself in his attempt to become the “Erdogan of Pakistan”.

At the last hearing on Nov 7, the Supreme Court had provided the prime minister and his children a final opportunity to submit evidence to support their claims, adding that after going it, the court would decide whether to appoint a judicial commission or decide the controversy at hand on its own.

On Monday, senior counsel Naeem Bukhari submitted a 686-page document, which purportedly demonstrated how the Sharif family allegedly laundered their money and purchased property in 1998.

The evidence includes an April 10, 2000 Guardian article titled ‘Sharif set for grilling on wealth’ as well as an April 5, 2016 article, headlined ‘Pakistani PM’s children raised £7m against UK flats owned offshore’; Maryam Nawaz’s comments from a television talk show, different press clippings, Chaudhry Nisar’s statement about the Mayfair flats from Aug 12, 2012; Siddiq-ul-Farooq’s statement also about the Mayfair flats, an FIA letter regarding M/s Nescoll Ltd, different land registries, reports and financial statements of various companies, Maryam Nawaz’s Form A for the year 2012-13 under the Punjab Agricultural Income Tax Act 1997 and a book called ‘Raiwind Sazish’ by journalist Asad Kharal.

However, that last item drew the ire of Maryam Nawaz Sharif, who tweeted on Monday: “Asad Kharal’s entire book of already dismissed evidence before this very court has been re submitted as ‘evidence’.”

“So much hue and cry, slanderous allegations & attempts at defaming the Sharifs & this is what you come up with!”, she tweeted, referring to the PTI’s claims of providing concrete evidence regarding the Sharif family’s alleged corrupt practices. But Mr Kharal, not to be outdone, responded to Ms Sharif on Twitter, saying: “Please correct yourself [ma’am]! Earlier, I had not presented this book before the Supreme Court in Panamagate case.”

However, the Supreme Court had already dismissed the petition moved by Mr Kharal while initiating hearing in the Panama Papers case.

Sheikh Rashid also submitted a 600-page document, explaining that he had submitted a list of 11 different companies owned by the Sharifs, describing it as their nama-e-amaal.

“My emphasis is on Article 62 of the Constitution, which is the only way to ensure Nawaz Sharif’s disqualification,” Mr Rashid said.

Published in Dawn, November 15th, 2016