ISLAMABAD: Reacting to Nawaz Sharif’s denial of owning London properties, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Monday said that the deposed prime minister has found an absurd way of justifying his money laundering.
Taking to Twitter, Imran said, “Absolutely shameful! A thrice-elected PM today declared before NAB Court that the Avenfield Apts belonged to his sons and he didn’t know where they got the money from! But as they are UK citizens the law of Pakistan does not apply to them acc to NS! Qatari letter also disowned.”
After wasting 2 yrs in SC & JIT as well as taxpayer money, NS now finds an absurd way to justify his money laundering. This means anyone, like Dar, can park his kids abroad along with his looted wealth & simply say he doesn’t know where his kids money came from! https://t.co/EnV9yZc2zY
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) May 21, 2018
“After wasting 2 yrs in SC & JIT as well as taxpayer money, NS now finds an absurd way to justify his money laundering. This means anyone, like Dar, can park his kids abroad along with his looted wealth & simply say he doesn’t know where his kids money came from!” he added.
Absolutely shameful! A thrice-elected PM today declared before NAB Court that the Avenfield Apts belonged to his sons and he didn’t know where they got the money from! But as they are UK citizens the law of Pakistan does not apply to them acc to NS! Qatari letter also disowned.
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) May 21, 2018
Earlier, the ousted prime minister denied ownership of the London properties, saying he was not privy to any transactions for the acquisition of the flats.
Nawaz and his family members are facing three references — Avenfield properties, Al-Azizia and Flagship Investment Co — filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) under the directives of the Supreme Court in its July 28, 2017, Panama Papers judgement.
The PML-N supremo, his daughter Maryam, and son-in-law Captain (r) Muhammad Safdar, have been asked to record final statements in their defence in the references under Section 342 of the Criminal Procedure Code and to produce, on record, anything contradicting the statements of the 19 prosecution witnesses in the case.
Accountability Judge Muhammad Bashir had prepared a questionnaire of 128 questions and handed it over to the counsel representing the Sharif family on May 16. According to the questionnaire, the court has asked Nawaz if he was the benami owner of Nescoll and Nielsen, the two offshore companies that were shown as having ownership of the Avenfield flats.
Testifying before the court on Monday, Nawaz said, “I was never involved in or associated with the acquisition of the London properties through any real or beneficial title.”
Regarding the money trail of the London properties, Nawaz said, “I have never been a participant in or eyewitness to any of the transactions mentioned in Tariq Shafi’s affidavit.”
