Pakistan’s opposition party leader faces court scrutiny

By Islamuddin Sajid

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AA) - The Supreme Court resumed hearing the petition against opposition party leader Imran Khan in capital Islamabad on Monday that seeks the former cricket hero’s disqualification on alleged corruption charges, including non-disclosure of assets and owning offshore companies.

The apex court resumed the hearing after it recently sent the elected premier of the country, Nawaz Sharif, packing on Friday afternoon when it declared the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) leader had been dishonest to the country and was, therefore, unfit to hold the high office.

The case against Khan, who heads his Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI) party, had been filed by PML-N senior official Hanif Abbasi on Feb. 28, months before the verdict against Sharif came out.

Abbasi accuses the PTI leader of concealing assets and offshore companies in nomination papers filed at the Election Commission of Pakistan.

The petition also claims Khan had allegedly received foreign funds and violated the code that bars political parties from receiving funds from any foreign country or its citizens.

The election commission has been urged to also disqualify PTI’s General Secretary Jahangir Tareen -- a wealthy industrialist -- for receiving foreign funds, tax evasion and non-declaration of offshore companies.

Talking to the reporters outside the court, Abbasi claimed the PTI chief did not produce money trail of his flat that he sold in London and reportedly used to purchase house in Bani Gala near Islamabad.

Khan’s legal counsel Anwar Mansoor termed all allegations against his client as baseless.

Mansoor argued the election commission did not have the right to audit any political party's funds after the process has been carried out by chartered accountants.

However, the court disagreed and the chief justice remarked that under the country’s constitution, every political party was accountable and must show the sources of its funds.

The court adjourned the case until Tuesday.