Imran evades tax by not declaring his offshore company, SC told

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)’s lawyer Akram Sheikh on Wednesday adopted a stance before the Supreme Court that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan has received huge amount of foreign funds by using the name of his party which is sheer violation of law, ARY News reported.

The apex court was hearing a petition filed by the PML-N leader Hanif Abbasi.

The PML-N lawyer argued that Khan is not faithful to Pakistan as he persistently hided the source of his income and received millions in foreign funds between 2010 to 2013.

Three-member bench, headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, heard the petition seeking disqualification of PTI chairman Imran Khan and another party leader Jahangir Tareen.

Hearing the arguments, Justice Umar Atta Bandiyal queried under which article of constitution it is enshrined that receiving foreign funds is an unconstitutional act.

Lawyer to the petitioner apprised the bench that it’s prohibited under Section 6 of Political Parties Act and Article 17(3) of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

Sheikh further apprised the bench that Khan also owned an offshore company named ‘Niazi Service Limited’ found in 1982 but he never disclosed it and evade tax while Khan has so far come up with four different versions of ‘how he purchased 30-kanal plot’ in Bani Gala and each of them is contradictory to one another.

Directing both parties – PML-N and PTI – the bench prohibited them to comment on the court proceedings outside the court premises by adjourning the hearing for tomorrow.

It is worth mentioning here that Imran Khan through his lawyer, had stated yesterday in a plea to the court that the petitioner was an accused in the ‘infamous ephedrine scam’ and was defeated by him in the last general election, adding that the petition was merely a misplaced filing to demonstrate loyalty to the current prime minister, whose status on his seat has yet to be determined by a JIT in the first instance, and then the Supreme Court by further urging to dismiss PML-N’s plea seeking his disqualification.

His lawyer Naeem Bukhari had then apprised the top court that the ECP has already rejected reference against him in its March 16 decision.