Islamabad (July 20, 2017): The three-member special bench of the apex court on Thursday expressed displeasure over ‘media trail’ outside the court.
The special implementation bench headed by Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan resumed hearing of the Panama case. Counsel of Prime Minister’s children Salman Akram Raja resumed his arguments.
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When Raja started his arguments, the expressed anger over the debate in media over the documents he submitted in the court today.
“You’ve been conducting a trial in the media — all the documents [submitted to the court] have already been discussed in the media,” remarked Justice Azmat Saeed Sheikh.
The judge while addressing Raja said:“There’s a media dais outside, you should give your arguments there as well.”
The counsel, however, told the court that he had not given any documents to the media.
Raja submitted documents on behalf of his clients before the SC, including one acquired from Abu Dhabi customs to show that scrap and machinery from the Gulf Steel Mills did move from Dubai after its liquidation, and an invoice from Ahli Steel Company verifying the shipment of dismantled rolling mill equipment from the Al-Azizia Steel Company.
During his arguments, Raja said his client, Hussain, was not asked questions regarding the UAE Justice Ministry’s letter during his JIT sessions.
Raja presented to the court documents detailing cargo shipments from UAE to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
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Justice Ijaz commented that additional documents were submitted whenever questions were raised.
“You should have given the complete documents to the JIT,” Justice Ejaz observed, commenting that now the counsel has brought to the fore new documents whose effect on the case will have to be seen.
Raja replied that the JIT declared all the documents his client presented to it as bogus.
Raja also submitted a 17-page objection on the JIT report to the court, pleading for dismissal of the report and its ‘evidence’. The application objects to the source material used by the JIT in its final report, saying it is unverified.
Justice Amzat asked Raja not to dismiss the JIT’s findings but instead prove them wrong with supporting documents.
Addressing the counsel, Justice Azmat said you have to answer law firm Mossack Fonseca’s claim that Maryam is the owner of the London properties.
Finance Minister Ishaq Dar’s counsel, Dr Tariq Hassan, is also expected to continue his arguments from Wednesday.
The court then went into recess.
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