Partly Facetious: Onus of proof on the prosecution

05 Jul, 2018

"May I speculate?"
"Nope, I am sick and tired of incorrect speculations made by shallow people like you."
"Wow, that seemed heartfelt! But for your information you can't deny me the only entertainment that Pakistanis are allowed - our cinema houses are largely dilapidated though in recent months there has been a resurgence of our domestic cinema, which reminds me our religious scholars need to be taken to task for losing the country billions of dollars in lost cinema revenue (given that they successfully opposed the development of cinema in this country) and maybe we can invoke the treason clause against them as well as it benefited Indian cinema industry..."
"Don't be facetious. But what about entertainment provided during political jalsas with DJs and musicians and songs extolling the virtues of the party leader and only the party leader and..."
"OK, I know you are trying to distract me and you reckon I as a prime example of a shallow speculator will oblige you but I insist I want to speculate and..."
"OK my friend, go ahead and speculate and see what happens."
"I know what will happen - the narrative will change again. From we have the documents which will be presented at the appropriate forum (and the right forum has still not been identified) to the Joint Investigation Team did not respond to queries by Nawaz Sharif and Children (though the queries that were unanswered were put forth by the JIT) to the onus of proving Nawaz Sharif's children are not financial wizards from the age of 8 to 16 on the JIT to the latest, the onus of proving that the children's income does not justify the assets of the Sons who are not liable to Pakistani law but to British law and..."
"You and not me, has a one track mind my friend. I am not Nawaz Sharif and Daughter's lawyer, nor am I Mushahid Hussain or the current resident of Middlesex, a county in London - people who benefited from Nawaz Sharif and Daughter's largesse and so I ain't gonna defend them without some documentary proof..."
"The resident of Middlesex hasn't benefited for awhile now. But anyway the onus of proof is on the prosecution, National Accountability Law be damned and..."
"Stop, I wasn't gonna speculate on the verdict due this Friday. All I wanted to speculate is on the fate of former Malaysian head of government Najib who has been accused of corruption from 1MDB, a public sector investment company that he set up, a company in which China invested for some One Belt One Road projects..."
"Stop, no one has accused Nawaz Sharif or Professor Iqbal of doing hanky-panky with the China Pakistan Economic Corridor funds or sale of state assets and..."
"And Najib's house was raided and handbags and jewellery valued at 273 million dollars was confiscated and the task force froze 400 bank accounts ­connected to the misappropriation of money from the state fund and..."
"Maryam Nawaz has jewellery worth only 1.7 million rupees, and assets of 845 million rupees only, not dollars/rupees..."
"As per MN's own declaration... besides what about watches, handbags and shoes...and sunglasses... I mean each of these items can have a value in excess of thousands of pounds besides methinks you protest too much."

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