- PML-N leader Hanif Abbasi, in his petition, accuses the PTI chief of concealing assets, ‘offshore companies’
According to the apex court’s roster issued on Wednesday, the hearing of disqualification case against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and General Secretary Jehangir Khan Tarin will start again from July 11 by Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar-led three-member bench.
The case was adjourned for an unspecified time during Ramzan by the bench without giving next day of the hearing. Interestingly, the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) probing the foreign assets of Sharif family is all set to submit their final report to the apex court a day before, July 11.
The petition against Imran Khan and Jehangir Khan Tarin was filed before the Supreme Court by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Hanif Abbasi, who in his petition has accused both the PTI chairman and General Secretary Jehangir Khan Tarin of concealing assets and ‘offshore companies’ in their nomination papers filed to the Election Commission of Pakistan.
Also, the Supreme Court has been asked in the petition to direct the Election Commission of Pakistan for disqualification of Imran Khan and Jahangir Tareen over tax evasion, concealment of assets and non-declaration of offshore companies.
During the hearing, Chief Justice Saqib Nisar showed reservations over the money trail provided by Imran Khan and asked his counsel to submit the complete details of bank accounts of his former wife Jemima Khan to ascertain the mode through which money was transferred to Rashid Ali Khan, Imran Khan’s financial manager at the time of buying Bani Gala property, after finding serious discrepancies in money trail provided by the PTI chairman for his Bani Gala estate.
PTI Counsel Advocate Anwar Manor, during his arguments, raised the question of jurisdiction of both Supreme Court and Election Commission of Pakistan and didn’t budge an inch from his contention as he stressed that both Supreme Court of Pakistan and Election Commission of Pakistan lack the jurisdiction to sit on judgment pertaining to alleged foreign funding of the party.
The court, during the course of the hearing, has highlighted inconsistencies in the accounts of the PTI chairman and reminded that petitioner Hanif Abbasi is claiming that since Imran Khan has submitted false statements regarding the income tax returns, he has ceased to be ‘sadiq’ and ‘ameen’ and should be disqualified.
Hanif Abbasi petition was admitted last November by former Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali, however, it took almost half a year before the hearing began this May.