Danial Aziz claims Imran invested SKMT donations in offshore businesses

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-N leader Danial Aziz Wednesday claimed that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan took funds from Shaukat Khanum Memorial Trust (SKMT) and established offshore companies.

Addressing a press conference, Danial Aziz, flanked by Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid, shared with the media persons documents and excerpts from the SKMT’s audit reports and claimed that Imran Khan lost Rs18 million from the General fund of the Trust as a result of investments in offshore properties.

Aziz maintained that funds from SKMT’s General fund, which contains Zakat and donations from philanthropists, were shifted to its Endowment fund and invested in offshore companies in British Virgin Islands.

He said while Imran Khan tries to convince businessmen from abroad to invest in Pakistan, he himself goes and does the exact opposite.

At the outset of the press conference, Information Minister, Pervaiz Rashid said some new revelations have emerged in connection with Shaukat Khanum Memorial Trust (SKMT) which need to be shared with the media.

He said a mechanism of accountability remains in place within the PML-N and there have been numerous instances in the past where resignations were taken from those found involved in wrongdoings.

Pervaiz Rashid said the Panama Papers are nothing but private information made public and the papers do not point to any illegal activity.

When asked to comment on the fact that the papers do not provide a money trail which raises questions, Pervaiz Rasheed said nowhere in the Panama papers was mentioned that Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Nawaz, Mariam Nawaz or Nawaz Sharif committed any wrongdoing.