ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)’s leader Hanif Abbasi had filed a petition in the apex court in May this year, seeking disqualification of PTI chairman Imran Khan and another party leader Jahangir Tareen for tax evasion and concealing income sources.
The court was pleaded to declare both the PTI leaders ineligible to hold any office of a political party under the Political Parties Order 2002.
PML-N leader claimed that Jahangir misstated his income for the tax year 2010-11 and willfully and fraudulently concealed the fact that he owns an offshore company.
Whereas, Khan did not declare his offshore company – Niazi Services Limited (NSL) – in his statement of assets and liabilities submitted to the ECP in his nomination papers in the 2013 general elections.
NSL owned a flat at Draycott Avenue in London, which he had purchased in 1984 and the flat remained undeclared until the Pakistan government announced an amnesty scheme in 2000.
The financial records submitted by Abbasi included details with regard to sale of Imran’s London apartment in 2004. Moreover, the documents did not have any mention of loan taken from Imran’s ex-spouse Jemima Goldsmith in connection with purchase of PTI chief’s Bani Gala residence.
‘Hotly contested case’
During the hearing for over eight months in the petition, the case took several turns before a final verdict announced today after court exonerated Imran Khan from allegations levelled by the petitioner.
However, the court disqualified PTI general secretary Jahangir Tareen under Article 62(1)F.
The verdict was reserved on November 14 by the three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar, includes Justice Faisal Arab and Justice Umar Ata Bandial, after hearing arguments from the lawyers.
On October 18, the chief justice had announced that the verdict of both the cases would be given together.
