— NAB prosecutor tells court PTI senior leader acquired assets worth billions between 2002-07, failed to provide money trail
LAHORE: An accountability court on Friday extended the physical remand of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and former Punjab senior minister Abdul Aleem Khan for another 15 days.
Khan was produced in court in a case pertaining to assets beyond known sources of income and offshore companies. An accountability court had on February 7, remanded the PTI leader into NAB custody for nine days.
The provincial lawmaker had been taken into custody when he had appeared before NAB for the hearing of two cases against him pertaining to offshore companies and assets beyond his sources of income.
It is pertinent to note that the PTI leader had tendered his resignation after being nabbed by the anti-graft watchdog on Feb 6. His answers had failed to satisfy NAB officials during the inquiry which had led to his arrest.
As accountability court judge Najamul Hassan heard the case, NAB prosecutor complained of Khan’s non-compliance in the probe. The court questioned that Khan had resigned, but did not want to cooperate with the prosecution.
Janjua also requested an extension in the physical remand to continue the probe. He told the court that the accountability watchdog has dug up links to seven people involved in the case.
He pointed out that Khan was a commoner in 2003, but in 2007, he became a millionaire who owned 35 companies and acquired 100 bank accounts.
“He was secretary of a housing society in 2000 and three years later, he was elected as a member Punjab Assembly. He bought properties in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), United Kingdom and Pakistan. But we cannot find the trail of where the money came from,” Janjua stated.
However, he maintained that the former senior minister had concealed his assets. Khan’s lawyer interjected that the claims were “baseless” as the PTI lawmaker had submitted all documents pertaining to those properties.
The court then inquired how was it possible for him to acquire such assets within five years when he was a public office-holder. However, his legal team insisted that the case lacked incriminating evidence, hence, NAB’s request for further remand should be rejected.
He also claimed that his client had first been arrested in the case pertaining to an offshore company before NAB added the assets beyond means of income part.
The court then handed Khan to NAB’s remand till February 25.
