Imran says he borrowed money from Jemima for Banigala house

MNA Daniyal Aziz claims Jemima had already denied giving loan to Imran for buying property; ECP decision on Imran, Tareen’s disqualification reference on 15th

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has submitted reply to the disqualification reference filed against him by PML-N’s M Talal Chaudhry and six others in the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). 

Imran claimed that he had borrowed money from his ex-spouse Jemima Khan to clear payments for purchase of Banigala property. The ECP’s five-member bench, headed by Justice (R) Sardar Muhammad Raza, held proceedings and said that decision on the reference against Imran and PTI’s Secretary General Jehangir Tareen would be announced on December 15.

Imran said in the reply that he had to borrow money from Jemima Khan, as he was unable to sell his London flat on time and there was a possibility of cancellation of the sale agreement of the property in 2002 for payments in installments. 

He pointed out that he had initially paid Rs6.5 million from his own pocket and the remaining amount was paid by his then spouse and this amount was transferred to Pakistan through legal means. The total price of the land was Rs43.5 million. 

The PTI chairman said he had paid back the loan to Jemima after the sale of his flat. He also termed the allegations of tax evasion and hiding of his offshore company Niazi Services Limited in his nomination papers, leveled in the reference forwarded by the National Assembly (NA) speaker, as baseless.

Imran explained that the only asset of the company was his flat in London and when it was sold in 2003; its existence was only in documents afterwards. He added there was neither any share in the company nor any tax amnesty scheme was availed. 

With regards to the reference filed by Muhammad Khan Daha and four others against Tareen, the ECP contended that without attaching tax record, how the reference was sent to the NA speaker, whereas the bench member from Punjab remarked how the speaker forwarded the reference without seeing the record. This was observed in response to Daha’s lawyer that there were issues of taxes but they had no documentary, which could be obtained from the FBR. 

Tareen’s lawyer noted that the allegations of agriculture tax were two years’ old and baseless and in-land revenue tribunal of FBR had rejected these already. He also said inside trading allegations were leveled seven years before the by-election of the NA and hence the reference was filed on the basis of political reasons and wondered how Article 63 of the Constitution could be applied on his client. He alleged the speaker misused his powers regarding the reference.

Outside the Election Commission Secretariat, the rival sides exchanged allegations. Talking to journalists, PTI Central Information Secretary Naeemul Haq criticised the NA speaker for allegedly resorting to an illegal, unconstitutional and immoral act to save his Quaid by sending a reference to the Election Commission without attaching 2015 nomination form to it and instead the nomination form of 2013 election was attached.

He asserted they would consider filing a disqualification reference against the speaker. After attending the proceedings, PML-N’s MNA Daniyal Aziz also talked to media persons and pointed out that Imran had filed reply to the reference after three months and claimed that even PTI’s Secretary General Tareen, who was always seen standing on the right side of Imran, was doing business through his cook and driver Haji Khan and Allah Yar.

He said Imran demanded record of the Prime Minister for the last 40 years, whereas himself failed to provide record of 2007. Aziz added Imran’s reply had been foiled but his lawyer did not appear before the bench. He noted that whenever, got strengthened politically, baseless allegations were hurled at him by Imran.

Aziz asserted Imran would have to be held accountable for he had said in the National Assembly that money was brought to Pakistan after selling his flat, whereas Jemima said Imran had not taken loan to buy property.