LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Aleem Khan owns four properties in London, according to reports.
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had arrested Aleem Khan earlier this week. The PTI leader is being probed in cases pertaining to owning assets beyond his known sources of income and an offshore company, and his involvement in the Park View Housing Society and River Age Housing Society.
According to reports, NAB officials questioned Aleem Khan over whether he was the actual owner of the properties and explain his sources of income that were used to purchase them.
He was further questioned regarding ownership of a company registered in the British Virgin Island in 2005 and if he had submitted documents regarding its ownership to Pakistani authorities.
In addition, the anti-graft body questioned him regarding transfer of money abroad and whether he had obtained permission from State Bank of Pakistan over the matter.
On Thursday, NAB acquired a nine-day physical remand of Aleem Khan from an accountability court.
According to a press statement issued by Aleem Khan’s spokesman, the PTI leader told the court that he had provided all relevant documents to NAB whereas the watchdog had failed to produce any evidence of corruption against him.
Khan told the court that he had sought some time to submit more documents to NAB but he was taken into custody. He added that he had already declared his assets and provided record for the same.
Following the arrest on Wednesday, Aleem Khan sent his resignation to Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar.
He said, “NAB has taken me into custody, therefore, I am resigning on moral grounds.”
‘ASSETS BEYOND MEANS’:
NAB had summoned the minister twice in the case but he failed to convince the accountability watchdog. Subsequently, the former minister was asked to submit more records and documents in the case.
An investigation officer said that the bureau had found during investigations that Aleem Khan owned many flats in the UAE and the UK.
Aleem reportedly has four flats in London and three in UAE. Earlier it had emerged that Aleem owned assets worth over Rs918 million, according to Aleem’s nomination papers submitted for the General Elections.
Aleem’s personal property is valued at more than Rs159 million while his ownership of shares is said to be worth more than Rs129.3 million.
Earlier in 2018, a NAB probe committee had asked Aleem Khan to present details of Hexam Investment Overseas Limited, which according to records is owned solely by him. The PTI leader, however, had claimed that his company was not named in the Panama Papers and that he would present all documents required by the NAB.
“I would quit politics if proven guilty of acquiring even an inch of land illegally,” the PTI Central Punjab president had promised back then.
Moreover, Aleem Khan is also facing a probe regarding the Park View Housing Society in Lahore. In January, reports indicated that the government had imposed a fine of Rs10 million on his Lahore-based real estate company for fraud and misleading advertisements.