Islamabad (May 30, 2017): Supreme Court on Tuesday issued notice to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chief Imran Khan seeking details of Niazi Services Limited, an offshore company owned by him (Imran), on the petition of PML-N leader Hanif Abbasi seeking disqualification of Imran for concealing and not declaring the offshore company in his asset declaration submitted to ECP.
According to the details, the Supreme Court on Tuesday issued notices to Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and ordered him to submit relevant details pertaining to Niazi Services Limited — an off-shore company owned by the PTI chairman — before the court.
A three-member bench, comprising Chief Justice Saqib Nasir, Justice Umar Ata Bindial and Justice Faisal Arab, was hearing a petition seeking the disqualification of the PTI chief and Secretary General Jehangir Tareen.
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The petition, filed by the PML-N’s Hanif Abassi, accuses the two PTI leaders of not declaring their assets to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and seeks to unseat them based on their alleged violations of the lncome Tax Ordinance, 1979 and the Peoples Act, 1974.
He plead the court as Imran Khan had hidden his assets so he should be disqualified under Article 61 and 62 of the Constitution.
The petitioner also accused PTI of receiving foreign funding which is against the law. He added that it was mandatory for all heads of political parties to submit
their certificates that they were not receiving foreign funding.
During the course of hearing, the CJP remarked as to why the transaction for purchase of Bani Gala property was made between the husband and wife.
He questioned as to why the money was transferred through Rashid Khan.
Imran’s counsel Naeem Bukhari while advancing arguments said that Imran Khan was not resident Pakistani in 1981 and was not holder of public office till 2002.
Upon this the CJP asked Bukhari what law says about resident and non-resident Pakistani. Justice Nisar observed: “there are allegation against your client that the London flat was owned by Niazi Services Limited and he did not declare it in his asset declaration. The amnesty scheme was for resident Pakistani and Niazi Services Limited was not a Pakistani company.”
On a court query, Bukhari told the court that Imran was not a shareholder in the offshore company. He added that Jemima had sent money for purchase of Bani Gala property through banking channel. He added that some portion of Bani Gala price was directly paid by Imran Khan.
Continuing with his argument, Bukhari said that he would also respond to the objections as to why Jemima was mentioned as wife even after separation.
The counsel further told the court that Imran got 6,90,000 pounds after selling London flat while Jemima had paid a total Rs40 millions for purchase of Bani Gala property.
Upon this, Justice Omer Ata Bandial, a member of the full bench, asked Bukhari as to why Jemima sent money in excess of the actual price of Bani Gala property. Bukhari replied that it was a matter between wife and husband.
He informed the court that he would provide the court all documents and other details.
He added that Jemima was contacted on first Ramzan for banks account and other details. He hoped that she would provide the required documents soon and these would be submitted in the court.
He added that tax returns of Imran Khan from 1981 to till date would be submitted to the court in sealed envelope.
The court issued notice to Imran Khan and PTI and sought details of Niazi Services within a week. The court also issued notice to Election Commission of Pakistan regarding foreign funding allegedly received by PTI and other matters.
The hearing was adjourned till tomorrow.
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