LONDON: The Scrutiny Committee of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has revealed in its report that a foreign company (Wootton Cricket Limited) owned by Abraaj founder Arif Naqvi paid an amount of over US $2 million to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) shortly before the elections of 2013 – a fact never denied by Arif Naqvi that he supported the election campaign of Imran Khan in 2013.
When Reham Khan wrote in her autobiography that the Abraaj founder had donated money to Imran Khan, Mr Naqvi never denied it. Equally, the fact that he owned a house in Oxfordshire called Wootton Place has also been widely reported in the past as well as the events he regularly held there for charity events.
Sources close to Naqvi have said that if a company 100% owned by him and carrying the name of his residence was the conduit to channeling his personal funds as a Pakistani supporter of PTI to a legitimate PTI account, why is that being broadcast as some act of evil?
Arif Naqvi is known for regularly sending personal money to Pakistan for a host of causes, including as a patron of the arts, a supporter of underprivileged women for whom his Aman Foundation ran programs for child care and maternity issues; funding the overseas education of hundreds of Pakistani boys; proving vocational skills to thousands of youth; and running the biggest Ambulance Service in Karachi, a task that has now been shouldered by the Sindh government after his problems started.
Through the State Bank of Pakistan accounts, according to records, Arif Naqvi remitted over US$ 140 million into Pakistan, of his own personal money, to benefit the poor in the country, whilst also building mosques and schools.
The sources close to Mr Naqvi, who spoke to this reporter, said that Arif Naqvi clearly makes for good copy but what people forget is that you are innocent until proven guilty, and the charges against him at the moment are just that, charges. They said that it was highlighted in media that Arif Naqvi had bribed the former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif but the US govt did not charge him for that under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, clearly intending just to paint a particular picture; charges denied not only by him, but the previous and current governments of Pakistan as well.
A few weeks ago, several fake news circulated through WhatsApp groups making allegations against Arif Naqvi with reference to the upcoming stage in his legal process and in relation to alleged statements he had made in relation to Pakistani political matters. Naqvi has consistently rejected all insinuation stating that he has never given any statement about any politicians and has no intent to undermine anyone. Close associates of his maintain that he is a Pakistani patriot who has worked tirelessly for the last 25 years with whichever government has been in power for the interest of Pakistan and has no intention to talk about any of it for personal gain or advantage. In addition, they further said that the work done in Aman Foundation was never used for his personal promotion or gain.
One source said: “We seem to accept the false narrative presented in the western media as gospel truth without giving the benefit of doubt to someone who has without question done an enormous amount for his country’s people, without concern for their political affiliations. The case of Arif Naqvi, a Pakistani businessman, statesman, philanthropist and role model for many continues to baffle the imagination. Despite a heavily biased crescendo raised in western media, particularly by the Wall Street Journal, whose journalists also cashed in big-time by writing a book on the case (and no doubt attempting to sell movie rights) where he has been consistently presented a thief and a fraudster in western media, alternative narratives have also been presented showing Naqvi at the centre of a geopolitical dispute between America and China due to the sale and handing over of Karachi Electric to Shanghai Electric by Abraaj, the company founded by Arif Naqvi. Despite his business collapsing, that deal still appears to have a willing buyer and seller, but despite three successive Prime Ministers supporting its completion, it has still not reached fruition.”
Twelve months ago, the Westminster Magistrates’ Court ordered the extradition of Arif Naqvi to face charges of fraud, money-laundering and racketeering which carry, in total, an incredible 300 years in prison. Arif Masood Naqvi is accused of 16 counts of fraud and related money laundering said to have been committed between 2014 and 2018. The American government has described him as the “leader of a criminal enterprise that courted Abraaj.” At the same hearing, the judge accepted that Arif Naqvi has mental health issues and this deteriorated during the extradition proceedings at Westminster. Naqvi has through his lawyers continued to strongly protest the disturbingly long, 300-year sentence. He has said that the charges against him are unjustly motivated and he has been subjected to a media trial by vested interests.
The UK High Court has yet to make a decision on whether or not to allow him to appeal against the lower court decision. A source close to him said: “Good or bad, Arif Naqvi deserves the support of Pakistan, if for nothing else, then his decades long acts of philanthropy and promotion of Pakistani interests within Pakistan and abroad. For decades, he was celebrated as a successful and generous national and many benefitted from him; when the gravy train stopped, the train station rapidly emptied. It is time for the Government of Pakistan to bring him home and let him face any charges that are being made against him in Pakistani courts so that he is subjected to Pakistani justice if he has done anything wrong.
After all, no US investors lost any money and there were no US investors in his shareholders. Many countries around the world ensure that their citizens who get into issues overseas have the protection of their own government. It is time for Pakistan to claim its own and do with him as it sees fit.”
