Panama leaks: Petition against PTI lawmakers to be heard on August 17

ISLAMABAD: Election authorities on Friday fixed a petition against three lawmakers of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) with other petitions related to the Panama Leaks for hearing on August 17.

Awami National Party’s Bushra Gohar had filed a petition against three PTI lawmakers, a senator and two Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly members for submitting false declarations with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and not disclosing their offshore businesses, as unveiled in Panama Leaks.

In her petition filed on May 20, she claimed that Senator Liaquat Ali Khan in his annual statement submitted to the ECP did not mention his company, Ambassadors Overseas Limited in British Virgin Island.

The investigative report by International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) however, reveals that he is the director and a stakeholder in the company.

The Election Commission of Pakistan has already fixed hearing of petitions filed by PTI, PPP and AML against the prime minister and his relatives for hearing on August 17. The Election Commission of Pakistan is due to hear another petition filed against the prime minister’s son-in-law for allegedly concealing assets for hearing on the same day.

The ECP has asked Gohar to file an affidavit to support her claims before the next hearing.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 13^th, 2016.