ISLAMABAD: The government has made public a Dec 2007 statement of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) secretary general Jehangir Tareen in which he had ‘confessed’ to violating Security and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) laws, including ‘inside trading’, when he was federal minister for industries during the Musharraf regime in 2005.

The government also made public an affidavit of Jemima Khan, ex-wife of PTI chairman Imran Khan, in which she claimed that Mr Khan had purchased the 300-kanal palatial house in Banigala, negating his declaration that the property was gifted to him by his British national ex-wife.

The evidence has already been submitted to the Supreme Court in separate references filed against Mr Khan and Mr Tareen.

This was disclosed by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders Muhammad Zubair and Daniyal Aziz at a press conference here on Monday.

They claimed that Mr Tareen had not only accepted the violation of SECP rules but also returned the gains of over Rs72 million he had made through controversial transactions and deals.

Mr Daniyal said the PTI leader had made inside trading through two of his servants — cook Haji Khan and gardener Allah Yar — to evade tax and hide his wealth. He presented a letter of Mr Tareen addressed to Tahir Mehmood, then executive director enforcement of the SECP, on Dec 8, 2007, regarding the purchase, sale and subsequent surrender of the shares of United Sugar Mills Limited (USML) in response to the public offer by sugar mills JDW.

The letter, written in response to investigations launched by the SECP, said: “At the time the shares were purchased by Haji Khan and Allah Yar, the acquisition of USML by JDW was still in very preliminary stage of consideration and there was no certainty of any deal conducted at all. As a practical demonstration of my bona fides, I seek to pull all matters to rest by the return of any resultant gain that may have occurred from the alleged irregularities. It is hereby offered to return the gain of Rs70.811 million to the SECP being the maximum amount recoverable under section 15B (3) of the SE Ordinance and to make payment of Rs1.256 million being the maximum amount recoverable under the various other provisions mentioned in your letter.

“As you will no doubt appreciate, this offer is made in a spirit of cooperation and in good faith to avoid protracted proceedings and to fully and finally settle all matters highlighted in your letter dated Dec 3, 2007, despite my being advise that there are sound legal defences to the alleged violations. This letter may not be used as evidences in any legal, civil and criminal proceedings.”

The PML leaders asked if the offence was committed by his two servants then why Mr Tareen had submitted a confessional statement and returned a hefty amount of over Rs72m to the SECP.

They also accused Mr Tareen of establishing an offshore company and purchasing properties abroad in the names of his children.

Banigala property

The PML-N leaders also showed some documents relating to the general power of attorney of Jemima Khan in which she negated the PTI chairman’s earlier claim that the Banigala property had been gifted to him by his ex-wife.

The documents dated Dec 3, 2014, said: “The land measuring 300 kanals and 5 marlas in Khasra No-1939 situated in revenue estate of Village Mohra Noor, Tehsil and District Islamabad, was purchased by Mr Imran Ahmed Khan Niazi, son of Ikramullah Khan Niazi.

“The land was transferred in my name through mutation Nos-7056, 7225, 7361 and 7538 by my ex-husband Mr Imran Ahmed Khan Niazi as ‘Benami Transaction’. After the separation/divorce between me and Imran Khan, I do not intend to keep the land with me.”

Daniyal Aziz said Mr Khan had mentioned in his assets declaration that he got the 300-kanal land as gift from his ex-wife while she claimed that Mr Khan had purchased it.

“Mr Khan should tell the nation that whether he is befooling the nation or his ex-wife is telling a lie,” the PML-N leader said, adding that what they had released to the media was the first episode of evidences against Mr Khan and his cronies and more would come soon.

He claimed that the PTI chief and his sisters were partners in Niazi Services Limited which was also an offshore company, but they did not mention it in their assets declarations.

Published in Dawn, November 29th, 2016