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The Supreme Court on Thursday sought the record from Election Commission of Pakistan and other courts regarding the cases pending against Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) about the alleged foreign sources of its funds. The apex court said it will conduct an inquiry into the matter as well if needed.
The SC was hearing the petition filed by PML-N leader Hanif Abbasi against alleged possession of illegal properties and tax theft committed by PTI chief Imran Khan and senior party leader Jahangir Tareen.
The ECP informed the three-member SC bench, headed by Chief Justice Saqib Nisar, that former PTI leader Akbar S. Babar had filed an application accusing the party of taking foreign funding.
The PTI had moved the Islamabad High Court against the petition saying the ECP did not hold jurisdiction to hear the foreign funding case. On this, the chief justice issued directives that all the data regarding the pending cases against the PTI’s alleged foreign funding should be presented before the apex court.
The counsel for Imran Khan, Naeem Bukhari informed the court that his client has been paying tax since 1981, and that the court can ask the income tax department to furnish the relevant data in order to verify his claim.
Bukhari said that from 1971 to 1981 Imran Khan was residing abroad and he was a non-resident at that time. “The flats in London were purchased in 1983 from the money earned during his [Imran Khan] stay abroad,” said Bukhari.
He went on to say that according to legal and tax experts’ opinion there was no need to disclose this property or income before Pakistan’s tax authorities.
In September 2002, Imran Khan declared the flats under the amnesty scheme and subsequently paid the tax on it, said Bukhari.
On this, the chief justice said that this is exactly what Hanif Abbasi is trying to establish, “that Imran Khan did not disclose Niazi Services in his income tax returns and nomination papers. Hence he does not remain saadiq or amin.”
To this Bukhari replied saying there was no legal obligation to disclose Niazi Services. “And still, if there was any, it could be termed as a mistake on the part of Imran Khan.”
Discrepancy in financial records
The counsel for PTI chief also presented before the court the record of financial transactions between Imran Khan and his former wife Jemima Khan for the purchase of Bani Gala land.
“According to the submitted details, the money to purchase Bani Gala land was taken as loan by Imran Khan from Jemima,” the chief justice remarked.
However, there is a discrepancy between the amount of loan agreement and the amount paid for purchasing the land in Bani Gala, the chief justice added.
To this Bukhari said that it could just be a mathematical mistake.
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Comments (43) Closed
May 25, 2017 07:08pm
its good and every top political leaders and heads of parties dealings should be open to public in general and accountable, especially the financial matters. IK should volunteer all information otherwise should not claim himself to be exceptional or on high moral grounds.
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May 25, 2017 07:12pm
On this, the chief justice said that this is exactly what Hanif Abbasi is trying to establish, “that Imran Khan did not disclose Niazi Services in his income tax returns and nomination papers. Hence he does not remain saadiq or amin.”
Lets have next elections without IK and NS as both seems to hiding black money
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May 25, 2017 07:30pm
Imran Khan is a honest man. Even his enemies would vouch for that.
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May 25, 2017 07:31pm
@Nomi Goraya IK disclosed the flat owned by the company, unlike Sharifs who always denied ownership & failed to provide money trail.
IK has provided money trail even though before he did not hold a public office in 2002.
How is his money black?
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May 25, 2017 07:38pm
If a honest man like Imran Khan is considered corrupt for any reason then imagine what other parliamentarians will be considered as?
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May 25, 2017 07:39pm
No matter what they say, on the basis of technicalities , Imran Khan's financial dealing is beyond suspicion. Trapping people like him is no difficult under the confusing and misleading FBR regulations, where an honest person is more susceptible to be prosecuted. However, I have come to believe that he should change his lawyers, Bukhari and others don't seem to be well prepared, even in this case as well as in the Panama leaks.
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May 25, 2017 07:40pm
Get him he makes too much noise for honesty and integrity
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May 25, 2017 07:40pm
Easy and simple to read. No letter from Qatari princes, no funding transferred from dada to grandson, from London to panama to Dubai to Saudi to Pakistan and out again! Even the simplicity of it makes it quite clear that there is nothing to hide from the side of IK! While on the side of the PM, we're still looking for statements and those are never consistent!
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May 25, 2017 07:47pm
@Nomi Goraya you must be planning on becoming PM.
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May 25, 2017 07:57pm
Imran Khan did not hold any public office. Earned most of his money abroad and brought it to Pakistan, gave money trail still he is not honest???
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May 25, 2017 08:01pm
Don't forget...this is dirty political game and you think disqualifying Imran Khan would make country flourish....This is a complete nonsense. If Imran Khan gets disqualified, think about rest of the politicians who are in corruption upto their necks....
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May 25, 2017 08:03pm
Imran Khan never hurt Pakistan in any way...Even if he didn't disclose few items, he wasn't a public figure at that time so it is just a dirty way of keeping an honest man out of the way...Remember Imran Khan is the only opposition to every wrong doings...
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May 25, 2017 08:04pm
It seems that IK benefitted from the amnesty scheme launched by Musharaf and disclosed his hidden properties thus converting his black into white and then IK repaid Musharraf by supporting his referendum. My suggestion is that NS and Zardari should also be offered a new amnesty scheme so that all can be considered equally clean and the nation can move on.
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May 25, 2017 08:13pm
I wonder how some people give their comments with so confidence as they all were/are financial advisor of IK. Case is in court let them decide.
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May 25, 2017 08:15pm
@GRAMSCIAn But brother 24 rs/marla and in Islamabad isn't it to cheap??? everybody is accountable
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May 25, 2017 08:37pm
@Haal That is not true based on facts available. There is no concept of black money if he earned from cricket abroad and bought a property abroad. It's tax paid income that is not liable to be taxed in Pakistan. Even the property was not to be taxed in Pak nor was it mandatory to declare as per the tax laws of the period in question. There is no suspicious source of income in this case, nor any tax evasion. The Tax Amnesty 2000 was used to declare the flat on the suggestion of his tax lawyer because IK planned to sell that property and bring the money to Pak. In order to have a source documented for the funds that would be coming in, he needed to declare the property. He used the Tax Amnesty thus to declare the property and ended up paying a tax also which wasn't mandatory since it was an asset set up with foreign earned income, taxed abroad. It's a technical workaround to declare the source of the money he planned to bring in to the country, nothing to do with black money.
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May 25, 2017 09:00pm
It's good although its taking quite a lot of time and resources to pursue these cases, I am glad that even Imran Khan is being held accountable. While he did pay the tax on his properties unlike others who claim that they own nothing not even the London flats. All in all everyone should be held accountable for their dealings and people taking the office and calling themselves leaders must be cleared off all the charges before they can run for elections. Nawaz family should be barred from running in the next election as a punishment along with any other party member who was involved in tax evasion regardless of their affiliation.
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May 25, 2017 09:03pm
@syed haider and release Nawaz and others because they are saints. At least he's providing all the paper trails as far back as year 2002 while our beloved Nawaz Sharif Zardari etc have stashed everything out amd claim that they own nothing
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May 25, 2017 09:06pm
Imran Khan is honest, clean and sincere to Pakistan. And Pakistani nation trust him more than anyone else.
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May 25, 2017 09:08pm
@Pak_Patriot absolutely wrong. During that period IK was also liable to pay tax in Pakistan for any year where he spent more than six months in Pakistan as there was not any tax treaty in place between uk and Pakistan until late 80s. Further, if he was not liable to pay tax in Pakistan until 2000 in that case there was not any need to use the amnesty instead he should have declared the london flat in his first tax return lodged in Pakistan.
Use of the amenisty indicates that IK was hidding some thing.
Lastly similarly to NS Qatari letter, IK has produced a Rashidi letter and contents of this letter are not consistent with IK earlier statements.
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May 25, 2017 09:22pm
@Pak_Patriot sorry I don't buy your explanation. If IK's property had to be declared using a tax amnesty scheme it was not white. White money does not need amnesty schemes. We all know the meaning of the word amnesty. Please Offer an amnesty to NS and Zardari also then it will be all fair.
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May 25, 2017 09:29pm
yes the apex court searching a man who never held any government position.
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May 25, 2017 09:54pm
Never forget that IMRAN KHAN is a cricketer turned politician.As a politician he cant be judged since he never held any public office,but as a cricketer I salute his patriotism.
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May 25, 2017 10:14pm
The three-member Supreme Court (SC) bench, chaired by the Chief Justice Saqib Nisar, is hearing the case against “the alleged possession of illegal properties and tax theft” by Imran Khan.
His Lawyer, Naeem Bukhari, stated in the SC that IK declared the 1983 purchase of the London flats under the amnesty and subsequently paid the tax on it. Interesting!
Mr. Bukhari also stated, “And still, if there was any (legal obligation to disclose Niazi Services), it could be termed as mistake on the part of Imran Khan.” Interesting!
At another point, the Chief Justice pointed out that there is a discrepancy between the amount of loan from IK wife and the amount paid for Bani Gala land. Reportedly, “To this Bukhari said that it could be a mathematical mistake.” Interesting!
When we add, to the above, the fancy legal maneuvering in the court to avoid accountability, it gives a different impression about the self-declared champion Ik of honesty, integrity and accountability
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May 25, 2017 10:21pm
Only the Apex court has to judge on evidence, if IK is right or not!
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May 25, 2017 10:25pm
@syed haider .. Looks like you don't like honesty or at least try for it????
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May 25, 2017 10:42pm
@Haal IK never held any public office. How can you accuse him of earning black money. As cricketer he earned money in U.K. and purchased plot.
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May 25, 2017 11:26pm
@Nomi Goraya well IK had declared his flat in 2002 as part of an amnesty scheme. Also he may not have declared the flat but he actually bought them from him own money.
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May 25, 2017 11:43pm
Till yesterday, PTI lawyers were trying to convince the court that ECP etc. has no jurisdiction to investigate foreign funding. I think this attempt backfired to such an extent that honourable SC has summoned all departments to furnish all records and hinted to take it from there.
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May 26, 2017 12:28am
Dawn should report the 14 questions that Supreme Court has asked Imran on his money trail. They are newsworthy.
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May 26, 2017 12:36am
Chief Justice of Pakistan is a great judge; he is going to grill Khan Sb! Khan sb has nothing to prove his innocence. This is going to be another Panama leaks. Interesting to see timing of the cases. Divine help to PML-N is reaching.
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May 26, 2017 01:36am
@Sab se pehle pakistan I am not ImranKhan's enemy but he is certainly not an honest man.Dont forget it is proves as per annual reports of SKMH that he used Charity funding of Shaukat Khanum on a failed real estate deal in Oman.
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May 26, 2017 04:36am
Had there been no PanamaPaperLeaks Mr Nawaz Sharif would have never disclosed that his children own those London flats.
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May 26, 2017 04:37am
Imran Khan. Now it is your turn to give Talashi and let see how come up
Mr. Clean.
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May 26, 2017 07:01am
@MHS
When NG has suggested some thing than disturbance started
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May 26, 2017 07:17am
As the Imran's case progresses; we all will be able to get a glimpse on Imran's financial dealings and his tax paying. People will be able to determine his honesty or hypocrisy.
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May 26, 2017 08:33am
Let us not take this 'Sadiq and Amin' idea too literally otherwise we will be left with practically no one eligible to run for any public office. Anyone buying or selling properties in Pakistan is liable to run into these type of issues. Unfortunately, Imran Khan started the whole charade which is now coming back to bite him. As for him not being in the office for all those years, that is not the issue here, you don't have to be in office to do tax evasion.
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May 26, 2017 08:45am
Where is he getting multimillion dollar mansions and properties the hospitals are supposed to be non-profits?
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May 26, 2017 08:45am
@LIfe "He who digs a pit for others falls into it himself". IK's dirty politics backfired and is now in the trap.
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May 26, 2017 08:57am
@Sab se pehle pakistan And who gave him this certificate of honesty?
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May 26, 2017 09:01am
@Dr Khan So? Does this mean that he is allowed to break the law at will?
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May 26, 2017 08:12pm
@Nomi Goraya
One has taken billions FROM Pakistan and built an empire of riches and lavishes, corrupted all depts, justice and legal systems. Been in power THREE times and we don't have half a days worth of electricity.
The other has allegations of unaccountable money brought INTO Pakistan......hmmmm
Only One choir and we all know it.
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May 26, 2017 11:55pm
Durning last three-four years ,our people were greatly impressed by two personalities.One has already found a lucrative job in KSA and IK is in the making of bright future for himself.
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