ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) vice president Maryam Nawaz on Wednesday questioned “the silence of the relevant institutions” to form a joint investigation team (JIT) to probe into the Pandora papers leaks, and claimed that indicting her and her father Nawaz Sharif in the Panama Papers case was a politically “engineered decision to weaken an elected government”.

Talking to reporters at the Islamabad High Court (IHC), the PML-N leader leveled serious charges of political engineering of the cases against her and her self-exiled father Nawaz Sharif, adding that Nawaz was not only disqualified but also removed as party’s president.

She said that due to the policies, Pakistan is internally facing high inflation, and isolation externally.

She also questioned the government’s reluctance to form a Panama papers-like JIT to probe into the Pandora Papers leaks, saying instead of setting up a JIT, the prime minister has formed a commission to investigate his “ATMs”, whose names appeared in the Pandora Papers leaks.

“Where is the JIT to probe into the Pandora papers leaks or the other scandals?” she asked.

Maryam also questioned the government’s reluctance in making the foreign gifts received in the Toshakhana.

Responding to another query about possible extension to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman, she said that any move to give him an extension would be unconstitutional.

She hoped that if any extension was given to the NAB chairman any country court would strike down the decision.

Maryam had on Tuesday filed a separate petition in the IHC, seeking the annulment of the verdict related to the Avenfield Apartments reference.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021