The family of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was named in the Panama Papers and the Pakistani apex court is hearing petitions against the Sharif family over corruption.
Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif could be summoned to the Supreme Court if required to record his statement in the Panamagate corruption case, the apex court hearing the high-profile case said on Tuesday.
The remarks were made by Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, who is heading a five-judge larger bench of the apex court to hear a slew of petitions against the Sharif family over corruption.
Jamaat-e-Islami counsel Advocate Taufiq Asif had requested the top court to summon the prime minister and record his statement regarding the ownership of luxury apartments in an upscale London neighbourhood.
Justice Khosa told the JI counsel that the court will first hear the stance of the counsels of Sharif's children and if there is anything required, then the premier may be summoned. The judge, however, clarified that such a move will only be taken after hearing the arguments of the counsels.
The JI counsel said Prime Minister Sharif had appeared in the top court several times in different matters, therefore, the court should summon him in this matter as well, The Express Tribune reported. "Everyone's has doubts regarding the money trail of London flats given by the Sharif family," he argued.
Meanwhile, Sharif's daughter Maryam Nawaz on Tuesday again denied allegations she was the beneficial owner of London properties. In her reply submitted in court, she also rejected the correspondence between Financial Investigation Agency of the British Virgin Islands and Mossack Fonseca.
Maryam's response came a day after German newspaper, Suddeutsche Zeitung, the original source of the Panama Papers leaks, reaffirmed that the Sharif's daughter was connected with Minerva Financial Services Ltd, the company that owns the Park Lane flats in London.
The family of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was named in the Panama Papers, one of the biggest leaks in history. The leak, comprising 11.5 million documents from Panama-based law firm Mossack Fonseca, shows how some of the world's most powerful people have secreted away their money in offshore jurisdictions.
Among those named are three of Sharif's four children Maryam, who has been tipped to be his political successor; Hasan and Hussain, with the records showing they owned London real estate through offshore companies administrated by the firm.
Sharif and his family have denied any wrongdoing.
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