Tareen given 10 days to submit documents in disqualification case

SC seeks offshore firm’s trust deed, tax returns of PTI leader’s children

ISLAMABAD: A three-member Supreme Court bench on Thursday sought a trust supposedly represented by a company owned by PTI general secretary Jahangir Tareen’s children and their income tax returns.

The bench, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar, was hearing a petition filed by PML-N’s Hanif Abbasi seeking disqualification of Tareen for non-disclosure of assets and ownership of an offshore company.

The court also hinted that if the relevant documents were not submitted then the matter could be referred for further investigation.

However, the bench observed that they wanted to give an opportunity to both the parties for filing documents to establish their stance.



The bench also observed that it was mere presumption that the PTI leader had used political influence to get his loan written off.

During the hearing, counsel for the PTI leader Sikander Bashir told the apex court that his client created a trust in 2014 and his four children, including three daughters, were the beneficiaries of the offshore company, namely Shinny Limited, adding the company was in possession of one property.

However, he could not tell the address and nature of the property to the bench.

The counsel also told the bench that over £3.5 million and $1 million were contributed by his client as a gift to his children through banking channels and that the amount has also been shown in their wealth records.

Later, the bench directed Bashir to submit the trust deed as well tax returns of Tareen’s children, reflecting complete record of the gifts given to them by their father.

Upon this, the counsel requested the bench to grant more time for submitting the relevant record. The court gave him ten days in this regard.

However, the counsel for the petitioner, Akram Sheikh, submitted that the respondent should be directed to submit certified documents in this matter.

The CJP observed on Wednesday that the apex court could not disqualify any parliamentarian on mere presumptions, saying the money was transferred via banking channels and the PTI leader paid taxes.