ISLAMABAD - The Supreme Court on Thursday directed Chairman Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf Imran Khan to submit all documents regarding his London flat before July 24th.
Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, heading a three-judge bench, noted that Imran Khan is supplying documents in piecemeal. The bench was hearing Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader Hanif Abbasi’s petition against PTI Chief Imran Khan and General Secretary Jahangir Tareen for having off-shore companies.
Akram Sheikh, representing Hanif Abbasi, said that Imran Khan should not be allowed to file further documents, adding, it means he is trying to fill the gaps.
He said that on the first day of the case the court had directed the PTI Chairman to file all the documents regarding London flat, but so far he has not filed them. Imran’s Counsel Naeem Bukhari told that these are old documents. “We are making utmost endeavour to get documents from different counties,” he added.
The court directed him to file the documents before next date of hearing and after that they may not allow them to file new documents. However, the Chief Justice clarified that it was the court’s discretion to ask for any documents from parties.
Naeem Bukhari told that his client played cricket from 1970 till 1980 and started paying tax from 1983.
He said that Imran Khan purchased flat from the money he had earned from cricket. The Chief Justice said that there must be some proofs of foreign earning. The flat must have been mortgaged in any bank and how much money was given in advance and when final settlement of mortgage was made. The court observed it was not clear whether the money was taken out from Pakistan for the purchase of flat and setting up company (NSL).
The Chief Justice said: “We want to satisfy ourselves and want to have transparency in this case.”
Abbasi’s counsel argued that Imran Khan did not declare his off-shore company (NSL) in his nomination paper.
Imran concealed the company before the Election Commission, he added. Akram said that in his case that flat was the property of NSL while Imran claims that the flat was his property.
Akram Sheikh argued that this is the case of fraud, as Imran Khan under tax amnesty scheme declared the flat, which is fraudulent.
He contended that Imran Khan did not declare London flat till the time he availed amnesty.
Justice Faisal questioned whether availing tax amnesty is dishonesty.
Akram Sheikh stated that from 1983 to 2000 Imran Khan filed the tax and wealth return but did not declare flat in it, therefore, it could be considered dishonesty.
He said that as Imran concealed the flat till 2000 then it could be termed dishonesty.
The Chief Justice said, “We don’t want unnecessary delay in Imran Khan’s case and want to finalise it.”
He said from next week they would also hear Hanif Abbasi’s petition against Jehangir Tareen.
“We want to dispose of the Panama case on priority basis,” the Chief Justice said.
The case was adjourned until July 24th.
TERENCE J SIGAMONY
