Imran admits he has no record of cricket earning

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders and PTI Chairman Imran Khan on Sunday exchanged serious allegations with the former claiming that latter had failed to prove his money trail and was escaping courts.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan Sunday vehemently rejected the impression created in some media reports that he had not provided details of his London flat’s money trail to the Supreme Court.

Talking to the media outside his Bani Gala residence, he said: “Everyone knows that I earned money abroad, brought it back to Pakistan, and purchased Bani Gala from that money — I will show you those documents right now”.

Imran questioned how that could be equated to money laundering by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. He showed some documents to the media and said anyone could check them, if so desired.

"I used to pay tax abroad, so if anyone should be worried, it should be them [the UK government]. As far as declaration of assets is concerned, everyone knows that I had an apartment in London," said the PTI chief.

He explained that money came to Pakistan through Jemima, who had sent all the related documents and details of her bank accounts. Imran said he had submitted statements about transactions to the Supreme Court and documented proof of the London Flat when the chief justice asked him how he had purchased it.

"The money from the flat's sale was given to Jemima, who then sent it to Pakistan — those transactions are in the statements that have been submitted to the apex court," he noted. Imran said in fact he had provided financial details far beyond that were asked for in the petition filed against him by PML-N, as he had nothing to hide and all his property in Pakistan was in his name: neither anything was benami nor in the name of his children.

He regretted that an impression was being created in the media that he had failed to submit a money trail for his properties and his was similar to the Sharif family’s case in the Supreme Court and claimed there was nothing like ‘Qatari letter’ in his case.

“People are being duped and misled. I need to clear this misconception, as being a public figure, people give me donations for my charity projects,” Imran emphasised.

The PTI chairman believed that PML-N wanted to link its case with his case, but they (cases) are completely different, as the Sharif family didn’t divulge its source of funds, whereas he had. 

He alleged the Sharifs concealed assets, misled the apex court and came up with fake documents and above all indulged in money laundering. He explained that his former wife Jemima had provided bank accounts' details in the apex court, showing how funds from sale of London flat came to Pakistan.

He added all proofs of how he earned money and brought it to Pakistan had been shared with the apex court. Lashing out at a story in The News Sunday titled ‘Imran submits ‘Qatari’ letter to SC’, he said: “This (his money trail) is not a Qatari letter”, referring to the letters submitted by the Sharifs in the apex court and in JIT.

Unlike his children, Imran alleged that Nawaz Sharif’s children had billions outside Pakistan. He alleged the deed presented by Hussain Nawaz and Maryam turned out to be fraud.  Imran noted his flat’s value was Rs6 million, whereas, those owned by Nawaz children stood at Rs6000 million.    

To a question, Imran lamented that Defence Minister Khawaja Asif was attacking Pakistan’s biggest free cancer hospital to hide his corruption, which provided free treatment to 70 per cent poor patients. 

“He should take me to the court if there is any solid evidence against Shaukat Khanum Hospital accounts.” 

Imran advised Asif to be mindful of the world hereafter and noted that the Senate standing committee had detected Rs180 billion fraud in the Rs480 billion circular debt paid to the IPPs.  He said Khawaja Asif should think twice before dishing dirt at him as he could also be a cancer patient.

Imran maintained that people donated money to his charities because they trusted him. "They give me their money because they think I am an honest person, who will not take advantage of their wealth. People give me donations for the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital (SKMCH) two of which have been built in Lahore and Peshawar, while a third is being built in Karachi," he noted.

He repeatedly asserted Asif should be ashamed of himself for levelling baseless allegations against the only free cancer hospital of its kind in Pakistan.  “Those who support criminals are accomplices and considered criminals themselves,” he charged. About Panama Papers case’s reserved judgement, Imran said, “The entire country is awaiting the court’s decision”.

As a result of the Panama Leaks case, he pointed out Maryam Nawaz proved to be the beneficiary owner of Nielsen and Nescoll offshore companies, Nawaz Sharif received a salary for his employment with [Dubai company] FZE Capital, Gulf Steel Mills was in loss, and ‘most importantly’, the Sharif family lied in court and produced forged documents.

Imran claimed Pakistan would soon be free of this ‘dark night’ and that the foundation of a ‘Naya Pakistan’ would be set when the Sharifs land in Adiala Jail.

Earlier, showing documents to the journalists, Imran said that he played for Sussex for 11 years.  “The Sussex County Cricket Club gave me a certificate and this is the club’s official letter, stating that I played for them from 1977-1988: it also says that a 33 per cent at-source tax was deducted.

Since the club does not have the record of the money paid to me, I submitted Mushtaq Ahmed’s contract, who played for Sussex 18 years after me,” Imran said. “Mushtaq is also a Pakistani cricketer and his contract says that he earned 70,000 pounds per year. The reason I presented his contract was to give the court an idea of how much I would have earned as an all-rounder of my time if he earned 70,000 pounds a year,” he continued.