Opponents have failed to prove any allegations, says Maryam Nawaz

Islamabad: Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s daughter Maryam Nawaz on Wednesday claimed that political opponents had failed to prove any allegation against the Sharif family.

Talking to reporters here outside the Federal Judicial Academy (FJA) after her brief appearance before Joint Investigation Team (JIT) formed to probe the Panama Papers case, Ms Nawaz said: “All the questions prepared by the team have been answered.” “I asked the JIT what is our crime? Why we are being summoned for incessant hearings? But the team was unable to answer,” she added. Ms Nawaz also accused the JIT of finding allegations against the Sharif family and asked to unveil the evidence as “we have done nothing wrong.” She said her name was not included in Supreme Court’s verdict announced on April 20 but still she was called. “Whatever the JIT members asked, I answered.” , despite the fact that my name was not included in the Supreme Court’s orders on Panama case, I answered to all questions and faced the JIT,” she said.

She claimed that the JIT has nothing to accuse her. She said, “All the questions posed by the interrogators pertained to the business of Sharif family.” Criticizing the JIT, she said, “This is the first JIT of the world that has been formed but still looking for the charges to be probed.”

Ms Nawaz said that she was pressurized for being PM’s daughter who always taught to stand for the right, adding “We have presented ourselves over three generations for accountability. Today, I have paid the debt that was not due. This is fifth phase of our accountability we are facing.”

She said, “Those who think that daughter is a weakness of Prime Minister will find me as the power and strength of Nawaz Sharif.”

Maryam Nawaz asked the opposition to stop PM Nawaz Sharif from making roads, from completing China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and from winning 2018 elections, if they can.

On the occasion, stringent security measures were taken in the Federal Capital by deploying over 3,000 security officials to avert any untoward incident. Entry of irrelevant people was prohibited within one kilometer radius of the FJA.

A large number of Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) leaders especially women have also gathered outside the judicial academy to express solidarity with Maryam Nawaz. They also carried banners inscribed with slogans in favour of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz.

PML-N leader Daniyal Aziz said there was no contradiction in the statements of the prime minister’s family about their properties and assets. “The opponents are distorting the statements for their vested interests. The stance of Hassan Nawaz is the same as it was in 1999,” he added.

Earlier, Maryam Nawaz took to Twitter and wrote: “He has seen and been through the most testing times, in the 30 plus years of his political career, acting out his rivals, yet as an affectionate and protective father. I saw his eyes filled with concern and apprehensions over his daughter’s appearance before JIT.”

“I told him that I am your daughter, trained by you, will neither cower down, nor yield to pressure and nothing will deter me from taking up the cudgels against transgression and injustice. Will appear before the JIT, follow the rule of law as you always have,” she continued.

On April 20, SC cleared Maryam Nawaz from the allegations leveled against her regarding Panama leaks case. Her name was appeared in the Panama Papers as the beneficial owner of the offshore companies, Neilsen Enterprises and Nescoll Ltd.

The court said that Maryam Nawaz took cash gifts from her father in large amounts on several occasions. Receipt of such gifts from the father does not necessarily make her PM Sharif’s dependent in the legal sense.