Senator Rehman Malik, former interior minister and leader of Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP), Friday appeared before the joint investigation team (JIT) probing the Panama Papers case. Malik reached the Federal Judicial Academy (FJA) - JIT secretariat - at around 2:40pm amid tight security arrangements and appeared before the JIT headed by Wajid Zia, Additional Director General Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), in connection with his investigation report on the Hudaibiya Paper Mills case.
Talking to reporters after a two-hour long JIT session, he said he reposes full trust in JIT. "I saw very professional and competent people in the JIT and I do not think that they will do injustice or show bias towards anyone," Malik said, adding that he has offered to provide more assistance if needed.
Malik further said that he confirmed every word of his report which he had already submitted with the Supreme Court, including the two additional letters he had written to the then President Rafiq Tarrar and some additional evidence. He said he covered all grey areas that had not been covered earlier. Criticising 'propaganda' against him and his party, he said that for the last 15 days his opponents had been claiming that he would not appear before the JIT because the PPPP had cut a deal with Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). He said he did not appear before the JIT to protect or trap anyone, he said, adding that he presented all the record available with him.
He said Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PIT) was claiming that it was "winning a match" or the accountability of the Sharif family was an outcome of its struggle "but they forgot that it was Malik who prepared the pitch". Referring to his critics, he said if they had sources inside the JIT they must find out what he had actually shared with the JIT. To a question about 'scoring a goal', he said, "You are talking about scoring a goal, the world is round and you will understand what I mean."
He said he requested the JIT to provide him audio and video recordings of his statement. Earlier, when Malik reached the FJA, he said that he would do justice with the nation as well as with his profession, adding that he would provide all evidence to the JIT. He claimed that after the documents he provided to the JIT, there would be no need to get more evidence in the case. He said that as many as 10 FIA officers had taken part in the investigation of the Hudaibiya Paper Mills case.
"I do not know how to play cricket. I am a hockey player and today I will score a goal," he remarked before he entered the FJA secretariat. To another question, Malik said he would quit politics if anybody proved that the Panama Papers had also mentioned his name. Malik as an additional director FIA in 1998 had prepared a report, which ostensibly established the money trail through which Nawaz Sharif purchased his properties in the names of his children, which he had submitted to the then President Rafiq Tarar in September 1998.