ISLAMABAD: A five-member larger bench of the Supreme Court (SC), led by Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, remarked that state institutions failed to do their jobs.
“Those who had been named in the Panama papers should at least have been interrogated by NAB,” Justice Azmat Saeed said, in the hearing of Panama case.
The hearing has been adjourned till Wednesday and it is expected that the verdict will be announced on Thursday.
National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman and Federal Bureau of Revenue (FBR) chief presented themselves in the apex court.
During the proceedings on Tuesday, the bench remarked that neither FBR nor NAB performed their jobs. “It has been a year and NAB did not initiate any investigation,” said Justice Ijaz Afzal.
During the proceedings, Justice Asif Saeed Khosa asked FBR about its role in offshore companies.
The FBR chairman replied that he had contacted the Foreign Office over offshore companies named in the Panama Papers. He said that Panama is the safe havenfor tax avoiders and there is not any agreement between Pakistan and Panama to exchange the information about tax.
He said that efforts have been made to contact Panama through the foreign ministry on which Justice Azmat Saeed asked that when FBR had contacted the foreign ministry pertaining to Panamagate matter and when notices were issued to the owners of offshore companies?
He said that he had sent notice to 343 people in September 2016, of which 52 people refused ownership, while 39 were not Pakistani citizens. He added that 92 individuals agreed to own offshore companies while 12 individuals have passed away.
To this the judges remarked that the Foreign Office was situated at a distance of only 200 yards from the FBR office. “It took the FBR six months to cover a distance of 200 yards,” Justice Azmat Saeed said. He further asked, what reply was gotten, when he sent notices to the Sharif family.
The FBR chairman replied that Maryam, Hassan and Hussain Nawaz had replied to the notice on 21 November 2016. Maryam had said she did not have any property abroad. She did not mention being trustee to any property either, he said. Meanwhile, Hussain Nawaz replied that he had been living abroad since 2000.
Justice Gulzar Ahmed asked the NAB Chairman Qamar Zaman Chaudhry what action his institution had taken over the Panama Papers.
The NAB chairman replied that he was aware of his duties. He said that in 2016 the case came in the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).
Justice Asif Saeed Khosa asked that in the PAC, NAB had maintained that investigation was not in its circle of authority. Correcting him, the NAB chairman said that he had maintained that NAB will initiate action after relevant authorities complete their formalities.
Justice Gulzar asked the NAB chairman if anyone regulates NAB? The chairman replied that laws regulate NAB.
On Monday, NAB chairman submitted references related to the Sharif family in the Hudaibiya Paper Mills and Raiwind Estate cases. The two references were filed 17 years ago during the tenure of military dictator General (r) Pervez Musharraf.
