Karachi (October 17, 2017): Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Mian Saqib Nisar on Tuesday observed that Jahangir Tareeen had no record to prove he acquired land on lease for farming.
Heading a three-member bench of the apex court, which heard the petition seeking disqualification of Tareen as MNA, the chief justice asked the counsel of Tareen to prove through even a single piece of document that his client had acquired land on lease for farming.
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The bench resumed hearing of the petition filed by PML-N leader Hanif Abbasi seeking the court to disqualify the PTI leader.
Tareen counsel Sikander Bashir Mohmand told the court that documents relating Jamabandi, cross cheque, and ownership of land were submitted to the court.
Justice Umer Ata Bandial said that Tareen did not submit details of tax on land. Upon this the counsel said that the land was acquired on lease hence he only pay Aabina, electricity bills and other expenses. Chief Justice of Pakistan observed that as the payment was made through cross cheque, as there any other evidence of payment to the land owner.
Upon this the counsel said that the land owners did not want the issue of lease be placed on record so the payment was made through cross cheque.
The CJP question: “AS the land owners have entered into a contract with your client for leasing out their land and they are also receiving payments against the lease then why they are hesitating in registering them with relevant authorities.”
The CJP asked the counsel to prove though any sort of documents that your client was farming on leased land. “Whether you want we should call the revenue officer of the area or order constitution of a commission to look into the practice of lease in the area,” he added.
The CJP also expressed his astonishment over payments through cross-cheque to the land owners, saying that usually no one make payments through cross cheque.
The court adjourned further hearing till tomorrow.
Earlier, Imran Khan counsel Naeem Bukhari submitted two miscellaneous application to prove the money trail of one million pounds.
On the applications, the court issued notices to Hanif Abbasi and others. The CJP observed that money trail was not being proved. The CJP said that there was dissimilarity in the signatures of Imran Khan.
During last hearing, Tareen’s counsel had said that the court should tell where his client lied in his nomination papers.
In response to the question, the chief justice had told him Tareen didn’t disclose his ownership of an agriculture land. He had added that the counsel should read Representation of People’s Act’s Section-12 to know what action can be taken on misdeclaration.The chief justice had said that the court was taking into consideration matters related to integrity and honesty.
The chief justice had observed that though the agriculture land in question was on lease, the earnings received from it would qualify as assets and thus had to be shown in the required documents. He added that Tareen had not mentioned his complete assets in the election forms.
The chief justice had also remarked that they were trying to understand the law and not giving a final opinion on the matter.
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