Imran submits new money trail to SC

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court was informed on Friday that there was no money in the account of Niazi Services Limited (NSL), an offshore company of the PTI chief Imran Khan, hence he was not required to declare it in the nomination papers for 2013 general elections.

In pursuance of the court order, Imran Khan submitted documents to the Supreme Court pertaining to bank transactions in connection with his assets and accounts of his offshore company, Niazi Services Ltd, which also included two controversial letters.

Naeem Bukhari, counsel for Imran Khan, submitted the documents in the petitions filed by the PML-N leader Hanif Abbasi, seeking disqualification of Imran Khan and PTI Secretary General Jehangir Tareen for non-disclosure of their assets, ownership of offshore companies and for PTI being a foreign-aided party. 

The court was informed that the amount of 99,000 sterling pounds kept in the account of Niazi Services Limited was meant for spending on the litigation regarding the London flat. It was submitted that there was no money left in the account of Niazi Services Limited by 2013, hence the PTI chief was not required to mention it in the nomination papers for the 2013 general elections.

The court was further informed that Imran Khan remained an MNA between 2002 to 2007 and during the said period he did not receive anything from the said account, as there was no receivable amount. 

It is pertinent to mention that on previous hearing of the case, the court had pointed out to Naeem Bukhari that details of the Niazi Services Limited account provided by the defence earlier had shown the balance to be zero.

Later, 99,000 pounds were shown. Naeem Bukhari had told the court that the said amount was meant for spending on the litigation on the London flat.  The chief justice had asked the counsel to provide details in this regard. The chief justice had observed that the court had to see details regarding spending of the said amount. Similarly, the PTI chief also submitted documents relating to payment of 562,000 sterling pounds by him to his ex-wife Jemima Khan as well as details pertaining to 79,000 pounds received by Imran Khan from Jemima for the design of Banigala residence.

On the last hearing, Naeem Bukhari had told the court that Imran’s ex-spouse had made confirmation of receiving 562,000 sterling pounds from the PTI leader in 2003 after the London apartment was sold out. The learned counsel had produced before the court a letter sent by Jemima Khan through e-mail wherein she had made confirmation of receiving 562,000 sterling pounds. On the last hearing, Muhammad Akram Sheikh, counsel for Hanif Abbasi, had told the court that Imran had received an amount of 79,000 pounds for the design of Banigala residence in Islamabad, adding that the design was disapproved by the architect. Akram Sheikh had submitted before the court that it was not yet known from where the PTI chief received this amount.