Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) yesterday challenged Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) Imran Khan's stance on purchase of London flat in 1984.
PML-N leader Hanif Abbasi filed the petition through his counsel Akram Sheikh in Supreme Court (SC) yesterday.
Response:
According to the response submitted by PML-N, “PTI chairman has claimed that the flat was purchased by him through his earnings from playing cricket. However, on May 23, 2017, he deviated from his previous stance for the first time to state that the flat was purchased through mortgage. Therefore, his initial concise statement titled CMA 7925.16 is clearly based on false claim regarding mortgage and the false documents presented in the new CMA.”
The petitioner stated that, “In his [Imran] initial concise statement filed on November 29, 2016, as well in his affidavit filed on May 23, 2017 as CMA 3657/2017 and in his speech before the National Assembly and during various press conferences, Imran has claimed that the London flat was purchased by him in 1983. However, now, after almost a year later, he claims for the first time that the flat was purchased in 1984. The transfer deed attached on page 12 of the CMA at hand also reflects that the land was purchased on April 2, 1984.”
“There seems to be a consistent contradiction regarding the price paid for the London flat.
“In initial concise statement, as well as in his affidavit, the respondent has stated the price of the London flat to be £117,000 whereas the transfer deed attached on page 12 of the new CMA reflects the price paid to be £117,500,” the response added.
It is also submitted that Imran had categorically claimed that the money for Bani Gala property was periodically transmitted to Rashid Ali Khan, which was subsequently converted and encashed and paid to the seller.
“In support of this, he (Imran) has attached the certificate on page 64 of CMA 7925/16. However, later on, when he was questioned regarding each amount transmitted to Rashid Ali Khan, the respondent (Imran) withdrew his claim that the first [remittance amounting to] $700 was not for the purposes of the Bani Gala land, but was remitted by some other source.
“Moreover, the statement of accounts of Rashid Ali Khan attached in CMA 4217/2017 shows money being transmitted after the payments for Bani Gala had been made. Therefore, the respondent had misrepresented the fact that the loan was obtained to pay for the land,” it stated.
The reply says that the nomination form filed by Imran for contesting the general election to the constituency NA-71 (Mianwali-1) as on June 30, 2002 mentions advance of Rs6.7 million (in relation to the Bani gala land).
“It does not mention advance of Rs14.5 million paid on April 11, 2002, towards this land mentioned in the Acknowledgement Receipt on page 75 in CMA 7925/2016.”
The petition states that according to the respondent he was taking loan from Mrs. Jemima Khan for payment of Bani Gala land. On April 11, 2002 a sum of Rs14.5 million was paid, as stated in the Acknowledgment Receipt, from the loan received on the same date, into the account of Rashid Ali Khan equivalent to Rs15,422,810 ($258,000).
“In the declaration he was required to mention ‘other debts/unsecured loans’ as liabilities on page 5 of the declaration.” This amount is not mentioned.
The petitioner also contested the three letters submitted by the respondent, saying: “The concise statement pertains only to the period ranging from 1977 to 1988. Whereas, no record or proof of earnings for the years 1971 till 1977 has been brought forth.”
It is submitted that the validity and therefore, reliability of the attached letters is highly questionable.