- Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid calls PTI chief ‘pioneer of off-shore companies’
- Says PTI lawmakers have highest number of offshore companies
- PTI’s Naeemul Haq says govt ministers indulging in mudslinging
- Calls PM Nawaz Sharif ‘top-most accused’ for not answering seven questions posed by joint opposition
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan’s admission that he had formed an offshore company to evade taxes in Britain during a flat purchase deal in 1983 has given the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government an out-of-blue breather from its hot-on-heels nemesis.
On Saturday, Federal Minister for Information Pervaiz Rashid lashed out at the PTI chief and his party leaders, accusing them of owning the highest number of offshore companies compared to members of other political groups.
PTI spokesman Naeemul Haq snapped back, saying instead of indulging in mudslinging, the government ministers should order an investigation because PTI leaders are not running away from accountability.
‘PIONEER OF OFFSHORE COMPANIES’:
Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, Information Minister Rashid called Imran Khan a “pioneer of off-shore companies”, repeating a phrase used by the premier’s daughter Maryam Nawaz Sharif earlier on Twitter.
The minister took a dig at Imran Khan, saying “the PTI chief has a weak memory”, referring to his recent revelation regarding owning an offshore company and an apartment in London.
“Imran Khan remembers the number of wickets he took and the number of runs he scored in 1980, but forgot about the offshore company he had established,” Rashid said, adding that the PTI chief, Jahangir Tareen, Aleem Khan, MPA Tarakai and Senator Tarakai had links with offshore companies.
He said that Imran’s sister also had an offshore company, but refused to give her name out of respect.
“According to what he (Imran Khan) has stated earlier, all those possessing offshore companies are tax evaders, hence all the individuals named are tax evaders,” said the minister.
“Only one member of the PPP is associated with an offshore company,” Rashid said while making a comparison of the PTI with other political parties. He also claimed that not a single parliamentarian or minister from the PML-N had an offshore company.
He questioned Khan why he had concealed the facts about his offshore company until they were exposed in a media report. “Why did Imran Khan not disclose his offshore company or source of income in his declaration of assets,” he asked.
He said that Imran Khan would have to answer all these questions before the parliament and the commission, adding that the person starting a debate on the Panama Papers and calling for morality had now been exposed.
He said the Chief Justice of Pakistan, in his letter, had called for identification of the individuals, groups and companies, which would be investigated by the inquiry commission.
PTI SPOKESPERSON NAEEMUL HAQ RESPONDS:
Responding to Rashid’s presser, PTI spokesperson Naeemul Haq said that instead of indulging in mudslinging, the government ministers should order an investigation against the PTI leaders at the earliest, as the party was not running away from accountability.
He said that Imran Khan had revealed the truth before the nation, so it was not he rather Prime Minister Nawaz who could be called the “top-most accused” for not answering the ‘seven questions’ posed by the joint opposition.
Haq said that every individual in the county was well aware of Khan’s assets, so the ministers should not waste the nation’s precious time by holding press conferences daily, adding that PTI chief’s offshore company was registered in England.
He said that the premier addressed the nation but failed to answer any of the questions posed by the opposition parties, as he only narrated stories of his own sacrifices.
The PTI leader said that Imran Khan had repeatedly stated that he would present himself for accountability before the commission, adding that PML-N ministers should quit their portfolios to defend the prime minister.
He said that Imran Khan spoke the truth, while Nawaz Sharif was constantly avoiding unveiling the facts before the nation.
Haq said that at present, Imran Khan had no source of income as he had sold his London flat in 2003, adding that he utilised the money earned in India during the previous World Cup.
He said that Pervaiz Rashid claimed that six PTI leaders had been named for owning offshore companies but he might not be aware of the fact that prime minister’s sons’ names were on top of the list as they owned four companies.
He further said that Imran Khan’s offshore company did not even exist today and there was no mention of Khan’s sister in Panama Leaks either.
The PTI leader said that the premier had no way to escape the opposition’s seven questions because the whole opposition and the nation were united to bring the truth to the fore in this respect.
Haq also announced that he would present Khan’s tax record from 1982 onwards on Monday.
He, however, added that the government and opposition had to sit together to formulate a joint Terms of Reference (ToRs) to probe the matter of Panama Leaks.
IMRAN’S LONDON APARTMENT:
Earlier on Friday, Imran Khan admitted he formed an offshore company to buy a flat in London in 1983 to evade British taxes. He said he formed the offshore firm on the advice of his accountant during his playing days to buy a flat in London.
“I was already paying 35 per cent tax on my income there, so to evade further taxes, I bought the flat through an offshore firm, which was my right as I was not a British citizen,” Imran told reporters.
Imran Khan had severely criticised Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his family for owning and benefiting from offshore companies after the ICIJ investigation which led to the release of Panama Papers revealing offshore accounts of the rich and mighty across the world.
Khan along with other opposition leaders demanded the prime minister resign until the issue is investigated and the premier gets a clean chit. He had also told a public rally that the Panama Papers exposed how “corrupt our PM was”.
Analysts and critics, however, say that Imran Khan should have admitted owning the offshore company before launching a scathing attack against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his family members.
“Khan should have exhibited moral responsibility he had been giving Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif lessons of in his speeches since the Panama Papers issue came to the fore,” said an analyst, adding that evasion of tax whether in Britain or in Pakistan smacked of dishonesty and deception.
Middlesex asks for it every time.
Thieves are also shouting thief, thief.Ah poor naeem, the defender of the champion of lip service leader. carry on jatta.
What the Darbaris are saying on either side is immaterial. They both are trying to defend their positions and leaders. But sure, the PML(N) has been laid down by refusal of the Supreme Court to form JC to prob the issue. And that was obvious after five more Judge Brothers had refused to put their hand in the hornet's nest. The Parliament is a bunch of opportunists ( mostly smaller factions) and lurking behind them would be very immoral for the PM.
These jokers and jugatbaz clowns will keep us fools occupied with such nonsense. Let us not be fools but show them they are fools. Sharif family is enemy of state and have looted this country through motorways, qarz utaro fraud, yellow cab scam,sasti roti fraud, laptop fraud and now Orange Train scam. God thought enough is enough so He intervened with PANAMA PAPERS and Nawaz Sharif and Shabaz Sharif were caught leaking. They used their children as offshore holders to save their own skin. I had never seen a parent sacrificing children for money. Now I have seen. If they haven’t learnt yet then they should dread the day of reckoning.
A good liar must have a good memory! Most of the politicians in pakistan are liars but they suffer from selective amnesia. It is in their DNA.
imran khan may be asked to present the details of transactions taken place in his ofirm from day one to end
actually imran khan was playing gambling due to which he formed offshore company as i think income tax is levied once if you have income . if you are doing business then you have to pay tax. to avoid tax on his gambling transactions he formed offshore company. i again repeat that ik should present details of his offshore company as soon as possible.
where is the IK who was abusing sharif family about offshore company but when his own firm which he disclosed after GEO news reporter Noorani.. actually IMRAN KHAN was deceiving peoples of simple peoples of pakistan. on the other hand Nawaz sharif family owned offshore company. ashame for IMRAN KHAN. I am sorry to say that cross peoples in every where are very clever. I would like to prove it that my subordinate mother was from sialkot and his father was from muhagir. believe me that the staff was so clever as IMRAN KHAN.
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