‘Lawful foreign earnings transferred to Pakistan before becoming judge’

ISLAMABAD: The family of LHC Justice Farrukh Irfan Khan through his brother M Yawar Irfan Khan issued a press release asking the media to end unnecessary discussion regarding the judge of LHC who after dissociating himself from all the businesses/directorships is performing his duties as a judge conscientiously to the best of his abilities.

The clarification by Justice Farrukh Irfan’s family starts by terming the remarks about the sitting judge of LHC as motivated and allegations as unfounded.

“A willful impression has been created that while as a judge he formed offshore companies and unlawfully transferred funds from Pakistan therein as a sitting judge of Lahore High Court”, the family of judge says.

Owing to his position as a judge of the LHC, it is not possible for him to respond to such orchestrated campaign against him, the purpose whereof is to malign him and the judiciary, it says.

The clarification further states: “Considering that his silence has been taken in a wrong way, the Irfan Family feels it necessary, at this stage, to highlight the actual facts.

“As a lawyer and professional working, inter-alia, in the field or intellectual property law, Farrukh Irfan Khan, acquired an impeccable reputation, both nationally and internationally, and was recognised by his peers as one of the 20 most highly regarded individuals in the world in the area of Trademark law" as published in Who's Who Legal. It is noteworthy, that as a lawyer and professional he was advising large number of world’s top conglomerates including various companies dealing in next generation innovative technologies, next generation medicines etc.”

“Owing to his unavoidable professional commitments outside the country, he transferred his share in the local law firm to his family member, and concentrated on his professional work abroad. This brought him huge reputation, clients and the resultant financial success through his work abroad.”

“While he transferred substantial portion of his lawful foreign earnings to Pakistan, which was not obliged to do so, as an ordinary prudent person, he also opted to invest in real estate. For this purpose around 2001/2004, upon legal tax advise, special purpose vehicles in the form of offshore companies were formed for the sole purpose to acquire property, and certain properties were mortgaged through lawful foreign bank loans. Needless to state only a small investment was required for mortgages which were lawfully made from his foreign earnings while living abroad, much before his elevation a judge in 2010. No amounts of any sort were transferred out of Pakistan at anytime for all the transactions, rather substantial amounts of foreign exchanges lawfully earned abroad were brought into Pakistan through lawful banking channels.”

“On being notified as a judge of the Lahore High Court Farrukh Irfan Khan, who was abroad at that time, came back to Pakistan, and before his oath as a judge divested himself and resigned from business interests, directorship/shareholding etc held by him aboard as well as in Pakistan. In this respect, a gift was executed by him in favour of his daughter and other family members. Insofar Justice Farrukh Irfan Khan is concerned, he ceased to have any interest or right therein, and thereafter he has been performing his duties as a judge conscientiously to the best of his abilities.”