SC to resume disqualification case against PTI chief from Sept 12

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ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court announced on Thursday that it will resume the hearing of the disqualification case against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan from September 12.

Chief Justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar heads the three-member bench that is hearing the case filed against the PTI chief by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Hanif Abbasi. The petition calls for the disqualification of Imran Khan and PTI Secretary General Jahangir Tareen for not disclosing their assets and ownership of offshore companies. It also alleges the PTI of being a foreign-funded party.

In his petition, Abbasi has alleged that Imran Khan had violated the Income Tax Ordinance (ITO) 1979 by not declaring his offshore company — Niazi Services Limited (NSL) — in his statement of assets and liabilities submitted to the Election Commission of Pakistan while filing his nomination papers for contesting different general elections, including that of 2013.

The petition also alleged that in his declaration of assets for tax year 2014, the PTI chief had willfully concealed his investment of Rs2.97 million to purchase a luxury apartment at Constitution Avenue’s Grand Hyatt locality in Islamabad. This was a clear violation of sections 12(2) (f) and 42A, read with section 82 of the Representation of the Peoples Act 1976, and, therefore, he was liable to be disqualified on this account alone, the petition added.