Only elected leadership show respect for judiciary : No Shahbaz Sharif

Lahore : Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said he has recorded his statement before the JIT with utmost respect. “Today is another historic day when for the first time an elected provincial chief minister presented himself before the investigation team.”

Speaking to the media after his appearance in front of the Panama joint investigation team (JIT) on Saturday, he said the elected prime minister wrote a new chapter the other day in the country’s history by appearing before the JIT. Only politicians and elected leadership showed respect to the judiciary as no dictator ever come to court.

Shahbaz Sharif described that he was asked to appear before the joint investigation team as somebody “acquainted with the facts of the Panama Gate.”

The Punjab CM mentioned that he has provided the all required details about the case and added that even though he has severe back pain he did not flee from the JIT’s summons. “I did not go away to London, never to return, like other politicians,” he said.

He stressed that his family has served the purpose of rule of law in the country by appearing before the JIT formed by the Supreme Court to probe into the Panama Papers case.

Shahbaz Sharif said it is fifth time when his family subjected to accountability, similar situations were witnessed in the eras of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto , Benazir Bhutto and during the military dictatorship of Pervaiz Musharraf as well.

The Punjab Chief Minister said there are no corruption cases against his family and the case before the JIT belongs to their personal business.

“This is a case against our family, it is aimed at destabilising our family, just like the attempts made by others in the past,” Shahbaz Sharif said.

He added that “this is not the first time that the Sharif family has been put to trial, people should not forget the time when our family’s Ittefaq Foundries were taken from us by force.”

Earlier, Shahbaz Sharif reached the Federal Judicial Academy in Islamabad to record his statement before the JIT formed to probe Panama Papers case. He remained inside the building for more than four hours and answered to the queries of the investigation team. Strict security arrangements were put in place around the judicial academy which is the secretariat of the JIT.

His son Hamza Shahbaz, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar and several leaders as well as workers from Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) had joined him when he arrived at the Federal Judicial Academy.

Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif met his brother and Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif, in the capital today after his appearance before the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to probe Panama case.