Accepting the application of the anti-graft body on Saturday, Supreme Court granted permission to National Accountability Bureau to record the statements of members of the Panama Papers case Joint Investigation Team (JIT).

The NAB has requested Justice Ijazul Ahsan, a judge of the Supreme Court who was nominated by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar to oversee the proceedings of the references, that the Bureau will file references against ousted Premier Nawaz Sharif, his family members and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar in pursuance of Supreme Court's order in the Panama Papers case.

On August 19, the NAB requested the Supreme Court to grant it permission to record the statements of members of the JIT before filing the corruption references. On Saturday the Supreme Court asked the JIT head Wajid Zia, Additional Director Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), to consider request of the NAB for recording statements. Nazar Abbas, Deputy Registrar (Judicial) Supreme Court, communicated to Wajid Zia through a letter, a copy of which is available with Business Recorder.

On behalf of the registrar of the Supreme Court, the deputy registrar said that in response to the NAB letter he has been directed to state that 'Monitoring Judge' of the Supreme Court has been pleased to direct that in order to ensure that all legal requirements and formalities are fulfilled in filing references in the matter as well as to avoid any possible lacuna that may damage the case.

"Let the head of the JIT and any other concerned member, who had collected the relevant evidence pursuant to the directions passed by this court, record their statements before the NAB to the effect that pursuant to an order passed by this court they had investigated the matter and collected evidence which constitutes part of their report," says the letter.