'They have no case against us': Sharif's daughter post JIT appearance

Islamabad [Pakistan], July 5 (ANI): Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's daughter Maryam Nawaz has said that the Supreme Court-appointed Joint Investigation Team (JIT), which is probing the Panama Papers case, has no case against her family. After her appearance before the JIT at the Federal Judicial Academy, Maryam said she had responded to all the questions asked by the JIT members honestly. "I asked them once their questions ended what we are accused of? They didn't have an answer!" the Dawn quoted her as saying. Maryam said that today she has realised that there is nothing against her family as the Panama case went for six months in the Supreme Court and 70 days have gone in the JIT. She pointed out that this is the first JIT in the world that has been formed before knowing what charges to level. Asserting that there is not a shred of evidence against Nawaz Sharif over misuse of public funds, Maryam said that not even a penny has been misappropriated by her family. Maryam also said that she was being targeted to put her father under pressure. She warned those opposing her father in the panama case, saying that he (PM Sharif) will come back stronger if they conspire against him. "Stop him if you can from becoming the prime minister again. Stop him otherwise terrorism will end and unprecedented development will take place in Pakistan," she said. Earlier, she arrived at the Federal Judicial Academy accompanied by her family members and senior government officials. Security was beefed up around the academy prior to her arrival as more than 2,500 personnel were deployed in light of Maryam's visit. Criticising the 'buildup' to Maryam Nawaz's appearance before JIT, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan said 2,500 security personnel were deployed to give her security despite she being a normal citizen. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Sharif's elder son Hussain Nawaz appeared for a sixth time before Joint Investigation Team while his younger brother Hassan Nawaz faced the JIT on Monday. Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, who is also the father-in-law of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's younger daughter, also faced the JIT on Monday in connection with the probe, which has entered its final week. Dar again disowned the confessional statement he signed in the year 2000, linking the Sharif family with money laundering in the Hudaibya Paper Mills case and termed the confession he signed 17 years ago as "a piece of trash". A number of witnesses have appeared before the JIT for questioning so far including the Prime Minister Sharif who was questioned on June 15, becoming the first sitting prime minister to be directly questioned by investigators. (ANI)