ISLAMABAD: As luck would have it all the three key figures, close to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, who accompanied him during his meeting with teams of international forensic experts in London, surface in the offshore companies either included in the Panama leaks or unveiled otherwise.
They included Abdul Aleem Khan, Jehangir Tareen and London-based Zulfi Bokhari. Aleem Khan and Tareen traveled to the British capital in the company of Imran Khan while Zulfi Bokhari joined them in London.
While Aleem Khan and Tareen are prominent stalwarts of the PTI, Zulfi Bokhari is a trusted friend of Imran Khan and works behind the scenes. He always hosts Imran Khan in Britain. He was the one who had helped realize the divorce between Imran Khan and Reham Khan and had specially flown to Pakistan for the purpose. He had got the issue settled.
Aleem Khan’s offshore shell was named in the Panama leaks; such company of Tareen was uncovered by this newspaper; and one of sisters of Zulfi Bokhari owns an offshore firm. All these three fabulously rich personalities assisted Imran Khan during his discussions with these experts on Panama leaks.
At the time Tareen said that they would do everything to expose the Panama leaks. In mid-April, the PTI chief flew into London after announcing that he would hold sessions with international forensic experts to bring them in the investigation of offshore companies.
Before Imran Khan reached London, Zulfi Bokhari had firmed up his appointments with the reputed international forensic experts. Aleem Khan used his offshore company . . . to purchase as many as eight properties in London.
However, he admitted owning only four flats. But he declared the ownership of the offshore company in his assets declaration submitted to the Federal Board of Revenue and in the nomination papers filed for contesting the by-election to NA-122 Lahore.
He is the owner of Hexam Investment Overseas Limited, registered in British Virgin Island on December 28, 2005. In his tax returns, He described the worth of his share in this company as only Rs2.93 million. He insists his wife is also a shareholder. However, the worth of his properties was valued at Rs431 million.
Tareen has also admitted owning an offshore company registered in the name of his four children who possess property in Britain. The company linked with this property is managed through a trust.
However, according to his claim he does not own any offshore company in his name. He said all his children are grown up and independent, so the ownership of UK’s foreign property and offshore company linked with it could not be declared under his name. He admitted to have sent 450,000 British pounds to Britain in two installments through legal banking channels to purchase this property.
Zulfi Bokhari has been identified with the offshore companies, named in the Panama leaks, he owns along with his two sisters. There are six companies of the family: K-Factor Limited, Bradbury Resources Ltd, Bayteck Limited, Bayla Trading Limited, Poreim Trading Limited and Ganstam Trading Limited. They could have gone unnoticed had one of his sisters not given address of Islamabad. Probe indicates the house is owned by Zulfi family. Address in London is of that Zulfi’s.
His father Wajid Bokhari was caretaker minister in the interim setup installed for holding the 2008 general elections. One of his uncles is sitting PTI’s member of the Punjab Assembly from Attock.
