Imran submits ‘Qatari’ letter to SC

ISLAMABAD: The presentation of a letter by the counsel of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan in the Supreme Court to justify financial resources related to purchase of the London flat/properties is quite contrary to his stance which he had taken against the letter produced by the Qatari Prince in favour of the money trail of London Mayfair flats.

Naeem Bokhari, who is representing Imran Khan in the Supreme Court, presented a letter by Austin Robert, a former director of World Series Cricket, to justify financial resources of the PTI chief during the hearing into a petition seeking his disqualification over the non-disclosure of assets, ownership of offshore companies and receiving foreign funding for his party.

In his letter dated July 4, 2017 Austin Robert stated, "This is a brief letter to confirm that Imran Khan was signed by me as a director of World Series Cricket to be part of our series in March 1977."

"Imran was representing Pakistan as a member of the touring team that was in Port-of-Spain, in Trinidad and Tobago to play in the second Test match against the West Indies."

"Imran was signed to a three-year contract at $25,000 for a total of$75,000."

"Should you require any further information, please, feel free to contact me by telephone or email," the letter said.

When the Sharif family presented letter of the Qatari Prince in the Supreme Court in favour of the money trail of the London Mayfair flats, the PTI chairman on January 1, 2017 stated the letter by the Qatari prince submitted by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to the Supreme Court in the PanamaLeaks case was fraudulent and demanded that the prince should be sent to prison.

As far as earlier stance of PTI chairman Imran Khan is concerned, he on May 9, 2017 through his twitter account @ImrankhanPTI stated, "I will...show money trail of purchase & sale of London flat & money brought back to Pak before the SC."

In his another tweet on May 28, 2017, Imran Khan @ImranKhanPTI stated, "Whether SC investigates or forms JIT in my case, here is my challenge: whatever they want to do, they will come to only one conclusion."

In remaining part of this tweet he stated, "I bought London flat from taxed legit cricket earnings in 1983; sold it in 2003 & brought funds back thru legit banking channels."

The written statement submitted by the lawyer of Imran Khan to the apex court on Saturday stated, "The county cricket does not keep the record which is more than 20 years old, therefore, the evidence of playing county cricket and income earned through it is not available. There is no record of the schedule of Imran’s job either."

It said, "None of the English Counties he played for, maintained salary record beyond 20 years and therefore, none are available."

It further said, "Respondent No. 1 does not have any record of the exact schedule of employment for himself, however, as an example Mushtaq Ahmad's contract is attached. It indicates what another lesser known cricketer was paid (later) along with all the perks."

It showed, "The mortgage of the flat was for 20 years and the initial down payment to Royal Trust of 61,000 GB Pounds was made out of earnings by the Respondent No. 1 while playing for Sussex and out of his savings and with money from the $75,000 (equivalent to 75,000 GB Pounds) received from 1977 to 1979 through Kerry Packers series."

Reacting to Imran Khan’s response in the Supreme Court, Maryam Nawaz tweeted: “Don’t attack others with a LIE when you can be destroyed with the TRUTH.”

“While you were busy conspiring against others, you left your closet open & your skeletons fell out. God has His own ways,” she added.