Sharif family laundered Rs145 million to evade taxes: Imran Khan

ISLAMABAD, November 14: The Supreme Court of Pakistan (SC) would take up Panamagate case today (Tuesday) meanwhile Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and Chief of Awami Muslim League Sheikh Rashid Ahmed on Monday submitted documentary evidences against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his family in the Panamagate case.
The documents submitted by Advocate Ch. Akhtar Ali comprised 686 pages. “The petitioner seeks permission to bring on record attached documents; which are very relevant for just decision of the case,” stated Advocate Akhtar Ali in his request submitted to the apex court.
The additional documents contain details regarding different bank accounts and waiver of loans.
The documents allege that the premier’s family has laundered Rs145 million since 1988 through illegal hundi/hawala business in order to evade taxes.
During this period of money laundering of Rs145m, the documents claim, “Sharif paid only Rs897 in income tax”.
The documents, submitted by Khan through Advocate Naeem Bokhari, contain details of alleged bank accounts held by the Sharif family and loan write-off schemes. The paper books also contain excerpts from a book by journalist Asad Kharal, in which he made several revelations regarding Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
Khan claimed in the documents comprising 686 pages that the Sharif family sent an amount of over Rs56m out of the country between 1988 and 1991.
It is alleged in the documents that two Hawala dealers from Peshawar were used to “siphon off”
large amounts of money abroad in order to “whiten Sharif’s black money” and to evade income and wealth taxes.
The money laundered to a bank in the United Arab Emirates and elsewhere was exchanged into foreign currency and “repatriated [to Pakistan] in the name of 43 Sharif family members”.
The alleged transfer of funds and purchases of assets overseas was disclosed in a statement by Khalid Siraj, “first cousin and business partner” of Sharif, the documents claim.
The outstanding liabilities against Ittefaq Group of Industries owned by the Sharif family amount to Rs6,146m, they claim, adding that the industrial complexes owned by the Sharif family grew rapidly during the years Sharif was finance minister and chief minister of Punjab.
The Supreme Court’s five member larger bench headed by Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali will resume hearing the Panamagate case today (on Nov 15).
The court likely to consider whether it will appoint a commission to probe the Panamagate case, the court has made known its intention of initiating the process of accountability with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif as a test case, since he has volunteered himself for scrutiny and because, as the prime minister, his responsibilities are greater than those of others.Speaking to the media, Awami Muslim League (AML) Chief Shiekh Rasheed said “Further details and evidence have been submitted to the Supreme Court regarding the Panama leaks case, including details on Prime Minister Nawaz’s companies from 2001 onward.”
“Nawaz Sharif wants to become Pakistan’s Erdogan in the future,” he said referring to the Turkish president.The AML chief further said that “Nawaz Sharif’s children have changed their lawyer.”
“We were already aware of the prime minister’s meetings with Advocate Akram Sheikh, whose son has been appointed legal adviser.” He alleged that the PM is using “delays as weapons.”
In the previous hearing, the Supreme Court had directed all the parties to place on record all the documents on the next hearing on 15th of this month in support of their case as no other opportunity will be given in this regard.
The bench said that it will go through the documents before the constitution of the commission.
On the other hand, the Prime Minister’s children have submitted a request on Monday to change their lawyer. They want to replace Salman Aslam Butt with senior advocate Akram Sheikh.
On November 03, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif defended himself before the Supreme Court, claiming that he does not own any shell companies or property through offshore holdings. However, he did not address the offshore links of his children.
Submitting replies on their behalf on November 07, Counsel Salman Butt said Maryam Nawaz, Hussain Nawaz and Hassan Nawaz are not public office holders.
The counsel said that Maryam Nawaz is not dependant of the prime minister.The PML-N-led government and opposition parties have been locked in dispute about the response to the Panama Papers since April.
The Supreme Court decided to appoint a one-person commission to investigate the Panama Papers case and hinted at setting its own terms of reference for the probe, after political wrangling stalled the process in the country’s parliament.
The commission will be led by a sitting Supreme Court judge and will have the full powers of the court at its disposal to investigate the scandal that has dogged the Sharif family since April.-Sabah