[DAWN] Blame game seems to have become the order of the day and Friday was the turn of Prime Minister House that accused the joint investigation team (JIT) probing the Panama Papers case of phone tapping and monitoring of witnesses -- a violation of the law and the Constitution."The reliance and reference to ’technical analysis’ is indeed an admission by JIT of phone tapping and monitoring of witnesses, a violation of the law and the Constitution," said the PM House in its rejoinder to the JIT application in which it had accused some government institutions of creating impediments in its work and tampering with relevant documents.
The PM House’s rejection of allegations is part of Attorney General Ashtar Ausaf’s four-page rejoinder to the JIT application, submitted to the Supreme Court on Friday. A three-judge SC bench headed by Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan had asked the AG to submit his reply to the application.
The PM House denied the allegations.
No, no! Certainly not!
that it tutored witnesses and persons who were being summoned by the JIT -- constituted under the April 20 Supreme Court judgement to probe allegations stemming from Panama Papers leaks.
In its application, the JIT had alleged that witnesses were being tutored at the behest of the Sharif family and confidential letters were being leaked by misusing the PM House. The chief executive officer of the Ittefaq Group -- a close associate of the prime minister -- directed Tariq Shafi, the cousin of Nawaz Sharif
... served two non-consecutive terms as prime minister, heads the Pakistain Moslem League (Nawaz). Noted for his spectacular corruption, the 1998 Pak nuclear test, border war with India, and for being tossed by General Musharraf...
, to come to the Prime Minister House prior to appearing before the JIT, it alleged.
In its denial, the PM House said, if needed, the persons being named were willing to file rejoinders.
Similarly, it denied that the PM House had leaked summons issued by the JIT and said the summons might have been leaked by the team itself or the JIT staff. Nevertheless, it said, such summons were matter of public knowledge and their leak did not in any manner hamper investigations as alleged.
The AG’s reply also contained the rejoinder of the Intelligence Bureau (IB) which denied hacking the Facebook account of a JIT member, Bilal Rasool, or his family members or any other member of the team.
"Low-downs on members of JIT was done under the standard operating procedures," it said and also denied the allegations.
No, no! Certainly not!
that IB field staff were found loitering outside the residence of Mr Rasool on May 24.