Aleem Khan’s judicial remand extended

LAHORE: An Accountability court on Monday extended the judicial remand of PTI leader Aleem Khan by April 2, in an assets beyond means case.

Jail officials produced the accused before the court amid tight security. The NAB prosecutor informed the court that a reference against Aleem had been finalized and likely to be filed on the next hearing. The court after hearing the prosecutor, extended the judicial remand of Aleem by April 2 and adjourned the hearing.

As per details shared by the NAB on Aleem’s arrest on February 6, the accused being the Secretary of Parkview Cooperative Housing Society, Member of the Provincial Assembly of Punjab and Minister for Information Technology held public office as defined in Section 5(m)(iii) & (iv) of NAO,1999 and during the period was involved in acts of corruption and corrupt practices as defined under Section 9(a) of NAO,1999 by way of accumulating assets beyond known sources of income within Pakistan and outside.

Moreover, the accused established multiple companies with the purpose of real estate business and invested millions of rupees. He bought more than 900 kanal land in different villages of Lahore in the name of his company M/s A&A Pvt. Ltd. and also paid advances for additional 600 kanal land for which he could not account for the sources of the investments, the NAB added. It further stated that in year 2005 and 2006, apart from inland assets, he established offshore companies in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the United Kingdom (UK). The offshore companies acquired assets of extensive value which are beyond known sources of income of the accused.

Moreover, it has learnt that Aleem is also facing inquiries related to Park View Housing Society, River Age Housing Society, and properties on Multan Road. In January, 2018, the NAB had sought record of the offshore companies reportedly established in Panama and other tax havens abroad by Aleem Khan and PML-Q's Chaudhry Moonis Elahi. A Mutual Legal Assistance report related to Khan's case was provided to the NAB Lahore in January 2019, after which he was summoned for February 6 and arrested after he failed to satisfy the investigators.