Solid proof against Kh Asif found: Imran

Ag Agencies

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan said on Wednesday that documentary evidence had been found against Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif and his disqualification had become certain. PTI leader Usman Dar presented these documentary proofs to Imran Khan about money laundering done by Khawaja Asif through Benami transaction from his wife’s account.

PTI leader Usman Dar met PTI chief Imran Khan and claimed that Khawaja Asif indulged in money laundering through the Benami transactions. He also asserted that bank accounts of Khawaja Asif’s wife were also used for money laundering.

Imran Khan directed Usman Dar to present all the evidence before the court soon and the case be taken to its logical end. The PTI chief claimed that on the basis of the solid evidence, disqualification of Khawaja Asif had become open.

Earlier, in a matter where a PTI leader Usman Dar has been seeking disqualification of the Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs, Khawaja Asif on the basis of an Abu Dhabi Iqama, an IHC larger bench adjourned hearing till February 1 after petitioner's counsel forwarded arguments.

An IHC larger bench, headed by Justice Aamer Farooq, with Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb its member, is hearing in this matter. The petitioner’s counsel argued that Khawaja Asif opened an account in the National Bank of Abu Dhabi and used an Iqama for opening of the account. The respondent Khawaja Asif did not mention that account either in his tax returns or his nomination papers.

In July 2015, all the money from this account was withdrawn. Asif, at different times, transferred 22million rupees from this account to the accounts of his wife and daughter. But he never mentioned the accounts of his wife and daughter in his financial statements. Asif also concealed his restaurant business abroad. The larger bench at that juncture posed a question that where did the money come from for the establishment of restaurant? The hearing was on when it was adjourned for next date.

Usman Dar, an opposing candidate of Khawaja Asif from NA-110 Sialkot in 2013 elections, has been contesting that Khawaja Asif, in his nomination papers for 2013 elections, mentioned himself as a businessman whereas his Abu Dhabi Iqama proves that he was and still is an employee of a company in different capacities.

According to the documents, he was receiving substantial amount in terms of salary 50,000 UAE Dirham a month, that he did not declared. The petitioner adopted that the apex court bench on July 28 had disqualified former Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif for possessing an ‘Iqama’ and Khawaja Asif can also be disqualified on similar grounds.

The PTI member from Sialkot, who, in his own words at his website, ‘a rigid follower of Imran Khan’, has filed this petition seeking disqualification of Asif for concealing the facts that he was an Iqama holder, legal adviser of a company in UAE and his recent labour card was issued on June 29, 2017.

Khawaja Asif, in his reply on November 24, 2017, had said that the petitioner concealed facts from the IHC bench that the Supreme Court already dismissed his petition. The IHC is not a relevant forum; instead, it is jurisdiction of an election tribunal. But the petitioner failed to get any relief from the election tribunal and the Supreme Court of Pakistan and his review petition was also dismissed, Asif said.