News Analysis |
The accountability court has postponed the testimony of the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) head and FIA Additional Director Wajid Zia until February 8th. National Accountability Board (NAB) requested the accountability court to postpone the crucial testimony of the JIT head until it successfully acquires the relevant material from the apex court before recording Zia’s statement.
The accountability court judge, Mohammad Bashir, had directed NAB’s special prosecutor Imran Shafique to bring the JIT head and the investigation officer Nadir Abbas in the assets beyond means corruption reference against Ishaq Dar.
Despite the counter-attack from the apex court and continuous rhetoric to uphold the rule of law, wealthy politicians with taxpayer’s money at their disposal are continuing to subjugate the rule of law which is evident from their slogans in public gatherings.
Earlier, NAB had summoned the prosecution witness but he did not appear in the court despite being directed to do so. NAB’s prosecutor, Imran Shafique informed the accountability court that 26 out of the total 30 witnesses have already recorded their statements, and the JIT head would be the next witness to record his statement.
Despite NAB’s request to summon Zia, the judge said he was the prosecution witness and should appear in the court. The honorable judge commented that a summons would be issued in the case if Zia fails to appear in the next court proceedings.
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The head of the JIT was formed by the Supreme Court to investigate the disqualified former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his family. In the July 28th verdict, NAB was directed by apex court to file three references against the Sharifs and one against Ishaq Dar.
The much talked about JIT had compiled a plethora of evidence, which was presented to the apex court. The NAB prosecutor has filed an application before the accountability court seeking the acquisition of the valuable material from the registrar’s office to record the statement of the JIT head.
The political horizon of the country has reached its apocalypse, but if the powerful get punished remains doubtful. The apex court restricted in its disqualification verdict that NAB must perform under the supervision of an appointed Supreme Court judge.
According to the application submitted, the JIT report is constituted of ten volumes and numerous pages containing recorded statements and other material that could be crucial in the case. Since Zia Wajid is a prosecution witness in all the references filed against the house of Sharif, it is necessary to acquire the document to record his statement.
It was also mentioned in the proceedings that the testimony would have been recorded if NAB had received the detailed evidence from the apex court. SECP witnesses in today’s hearings. In today’s hearing, two witnesses, Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) Registrar Sidra Mansoor and Deputy Registrar Salman Saeed recorded their statements. Sidra Mansur submitted documents containing details of two of Dar’s companies.
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On January 30th, she had already submitted the record related to six companies of Dar, including Chaudhry Sugar Mills Limited, Muhammad Bukhsh Textile Mills Limited, Gulf Insurance Company Limited, CNG Pakistan Limited, Pakistan Development Fund Limited, and HDS Securities Private limited.
Despite NAB’s request to summon Zia, the judge said he was the prosecution witness and should appear in the court. The honorable judge commented that a summons would be issued in the case if Zia fails to appear in the next court proceedings.
Salman Saeed requested the judge to grant some time to present further details related to Dar’s assets. Though, he produced the certified copies of the record of six companies of Dar. The court proceedings are adjourned until February 8th. Will the tainted politicians get punished? The ongoing investigation has entered a fascinating and decisive phase. Allegedly healthy Dar failing to return depicts the strength of concrete evidence against him, which could potentially put him behind bars.
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Political survival is critical and requires penetration in the system somehow to reverse the damage. All-powerful cronies have always stayed above the law in Pakistan and used the institutions and compromised their doctrines to avoid justice. No wonder the Supreme Court had defined the parameters, and the apex court restricted in its disqualification verdict that NAB must perform under the supervision of an appointed Supreme Court judge.
Despite the counter-attack from the apex court and continuous rhetoric to uphold the rule of law, wealthy politicians with taxpayer’s money at their disposal are continuing to subjugate the rule of law which is evident from their slogans in public gatherings. The political horizon of the country has reached its apocalypse, but if the powerful get punished remains doubtful.