With govt fixated on Panamagate, state business suffers

PTI chairman says it is shameful to draw parallels between his and Sharif family’s financial details

ISLAMABAD: As the ruling PML-N came out all guns blazing against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman for his ‘incomplete money trail’ for his London flat, Imran Khan said on Sunday: “You cannot draw parallels between my financial details with those of the Sharif family”.

“It is shameful to make fabricated comparisons between Nawaz Sharif, who has been facing charges of money laundering, tax evasion, concealment of assets and presentation of forged documents in the apex court, and myself,” he said.

He added that some false reports about his ‘incomplete’ money trail in a section of the press forced him to address a ‘hurriedly-called’ press conference.

The PTI chairman strongly criticised Jang/Geo Group and its owner Mir Shakeelur Rehman for deliberately confusing his London flat’s money trail and comparing it with Sharif’s businesses details.



Imran said the Supreme Court had directed him to justify his £117,000 earning utilised to purchase the flat at Draycott Avenue, London, in 1983. “I have given documentary proof of earning of up to £255,000 in response -- a legit earning I had made while playing English county,” he added.

“The Sharif mafia with the connivance of a media don is trying to mislead the nation about my London flat,” he alleged. “Both of them are trying to create an impression that Sharif’s political opponents are also looters and thugs like the Sharif family.”

Imran said he had been asked by the court to submit a money trail for the purchase of the Bani Gala property.

“I did it and then the CJP directed [me] to submit the money trail for the London flat, which was sold and later its finances were utilised to buy the Bani Gala property,” he added, “The case does not show that I have been facing allegations of money laundering, concealment of assets or tax evasion.”

“I am a public figure that is why I am responsible to disclose information of my financial details, although I had never held any public office in the past,” Imran said.

“People generously donate to the charity organisations I have established because they trust me and consider me an honest man, and this fact forces me to present myself before the people for accountability,” Imran added.



The PTI chairman said he had recently submitted in the court the mortgage deed of his London flat, its complete payment plan and banking transactions in that regard.

“To answer the court’s query that from where I had earned the money, I have given all the details of my cricketing days with Sussex, Worcestershire, New South Wales and Kerry Packer series.”

The PTI chairman said since county clubs did not maintain records beyond 20 years “that’s why I have submitted Mushtaq Ahmed’s contract who played for Sussex for 18 years after me”.

“He [Ahmed] is also a Pakistani cricketer and his contract says he earned £70,000 per year. The reason I present Ahmed’s contract is 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 a year.”

He said Austin Robert’s letter in support of his earnings and cricket career had been portrayed as the ‘Qatari letter’.

“Not only Austin but 50 other players who were signed standard contract by Sussex are alive and details can be verified from them,” he said.

“If you [Mir Shakeel] believe in investigative journalism, then you should have called Austin or others,” he added. “All those supporting Nawaz Sharif are an accomplice in the crime.”

He said he has not given the exact figure of earnings from Sussex because he did not remember how much he was given at that time. “All the documents are available with the court, and can be verified by anyone. The London revenue department has all the taxation record of mine, which can be verified,” he said.