Panama leaks: JIT in Qatar

Islamabad: Two members of Pakistan’s Joint Investigation Team (JIT), constituted to probe much-hyped Panama leaks case, reached Doha Tuesday to record statement of Qatari Prince Hamad Bin Jassim Bin Jaber Al Thani.

National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) Irfan Naeem Mangi and Military Intelligence’s Brigadier Kamran Khurshid flew to Doha, officials said.

Sources told that both members will return to Pakistan after recording statement of Qatari prince.

Earlier, the Qatari prince refused to visit Pakistan embassy, asking the authorities to come to his house if they want his statement.

The decision not to appear before the JIT, constituted by Supreme Court (SC), was not surprising, however, the expression of doubts in investigation procedure as well as raising the matter of transparency was a fairly recent development. The impression of doubt has been created in JIT’s interrogation with these reservations.

It should be recalled that Qatari letter was produced before the Supreme Court’s five-member bench by the Sharif family’s lawyer. The document was dated November 5, 2016, from the prince who ruled Qatar from 2007 to 2013 as Prime Minister.

In the letter, Al-Thani said the premier’s father, Mian Mohammad Sharif, made an investment of approximately 12 million Dirhams in the Al-Thani family’s real estate business.

Also on Tuesday, Prime Minister Sharif’s son Hussain Nawaz appeared before Panama JIT for sixth time along with all the relevant documents. The JIT will present its final report to SC on July 10.