PPP leader defaults in UK on Benazir event funds

LONDON: A senior Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader has failed to clear the balance of £3,365 for an event held at the House of Commons on January 28, 2010, to commemorate the life of the late Benazir Bhutto.
A year after Benazir’s assassination, PPP UK President Hassan Bukhari organised an event in the British parliament courtesy Khalid Mehmood, Labour’s MP for Birmingham. The outstanding amount could double if fines are added and bailiffs instructed to recoup the outstanding amount.
The Labour MP of Pakistani origin, who was in Pakistan at the time of Benazir’s assassination, agreed to host the event on behalf of Bukhari to highlight the issues facing politicians bravely speaking out for democracy.
Hasan Bukhari, a Labour party councilor in Nottingham, followed the House of Commons procedures and signed a legal document in his position as the PPP’s UK President. He paid a deposit but has ignored all communications from the House of Commons accounts department to pay the balance, this correspondent has been informed.
The tribute was attended by many dignitaries, press and party members. Under the Houses of Commons rules when the sponsor does doesn’t pay the bill, it falls to the MP or the Lord who made the booking. The House of Commons has now asked Khalid Mehmood MP for the account to be settled or face legal action.
Khalid Mehmood MP’s office has contacted Wajid Shamusl Hasan, Pakistan’s High Commissioner to the UK, to see if he has any influence with the PPP leader.
Elaina Cohen, coordinator of the all party group on tackling terrorism who also works for Khalid Mehmood and helped organize the tribute event, told The News: “This is a shocking way for the president of the PPP in UK to treat the name of Benazir Bhutto in this way and it is insulting to the generosity of Khalid and the British parliament.”
She suspects that Bukhari signed the sponsorship document with no intention of paying the bill. “This now falls to Khalid to pay. The outstanding debt is unfortunate at a time when the British tax payer is increasing aid to Pakistan this occurrence is embarrassment to the Pakistan Government that its benefactor’s name has not been honoured. We regularly host event relating to Pakistan but this is the first time we have faced a dreadful breach of trust of this kind,” Cohen said.
Hassan Bukhari confirmed to The News that he made the booking. Strangely, he said, he didn’t go to his own event. “I paid a deposit of £1,000 but the event was turned into a film showing and it didn’t happen as planned. I have been contacted only once about this payment and that was through a reminder. If it’s serious that I will clear the amount.”
But Eliana Cohen said that the House of Commons had contacted Bukhari on a number of occasion and sent him copies of agreement “which he ignored”.
Cohen added: “Bukhari insisted for his name to be on the invitation card. More than 200 guests attended the event and paid tribute to Benazir’s life and works. It was not a film launch as we are not allowed to hold business events in the House of Commons. We have emails to prove that Bukhari was contacted but he refused to engage.”