Plea to disqualify me was filed by a 'drug dealer': Imran

PML-N leader Hanif Abbasi had filed disqualification petitions against Imran Khan and Jahangir Tareen

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Friday said he was satisfied and happy with the Supreme Court judgment that cleared him of all fake accusations and expressed hope that he would be given a clean chit in all cases pending against him at different forums.

The PTI supremo also reiterated that despite the attempts of the Sharif mafia to implicate him in different false and politically motivated cases, he would continue to chase the corrupt mafia till his last breath.



Shortly after the SC announced its verdict, Imran told reporters outside the Karachi Airport, “a false case was filed against me by a drug dealer [Hanif Abbasi] but I managed to establish complete money trail and presented all required documentary evidences before the Supreme Court despite never having been a public office holder.”

Taking a jibe at former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, he stated that Sharifs presented nothing but a ‘Qatari letter’ in defence of their corruption to the tune of Rs300 billion.

The PTI chief said it was unjustified to compare his case with that of Sharif as he brought his foreign earnings back to the country through legal channels unlike Sharif who plundered the nation and stashed his wealth abroad.

Later in the day, Imran also addressed a public gathering in Tando Muhammad Khan.

He told his supporters there that he was happy because he had been cleared by the Supreme Court before the 2018 general elections. However, he added that he would not have stopped chasing corrupts and bandits even if the court verdict had gone against him.

Regarding the SC rejecting the appeal by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to reopen the Hudabiya case earlier in the day, Imran came down hard on the bureau and said it helped the Sharifs by presenting a very weak case to the judges.

Sindh, he said, had been devastated by the corruption of Asif Ali Zardari and his whole lot of crooks for decades. He added that time had come to purge Sindh of political filth.

Lamenting his decision against the reopening of Hudaibiya Paper Mills case, Imran said, “The Sharif family has narrowly escaped the Hudabiya Paper Mills case due to NAB’s inaptness.”

He said the PML-N and the PPP ruled the country for decades but unfortunately made no progress. 



Review petition

Although the PTI supremo was happy with the SC judgment in his case, he was extremely disappointed over the disqualification of the party’s secretary general, Jahangir Khan Tareen.

“PTI would file a review petition against the disqualification of Tareen,” said Imran while speaking at the Karachi Airport.

Imran said that Jahangir Tareen was an upright citizen and one of Pakistan's highest tax-paying politicians.

“Notwithstanding the verdict, Jahangir Tareen should not be compared with the corrupt Sharif mafia,” he said, adding Tareen conducted all his legitimate business in the country.

In his message released to media by the party’s central media department, Tareen said he worked sincerely with all his strength for the betterment of the PTI and Pakistan.

“I am proud that all allegations of financial wrongdoings were thrown out,” he said, adding that he would continue to work for a Naya Pakistan as envisioned by Imran.

He said the apex court had rejected four of the allegations leveled against him by PML-N’s Hanif Abbasi for misuse of authority to write off loans and insider trading.

Tareen added that he established the complete money trail of his London property which he had already declared in his children’s assets since 2011. However, he said that the court had disqualified him on a ‘mere interpretation of the trust deed’.

Chairman PTI Imran Khan Media Talk Karachi after Supreme Court Announcement (15.12.17) 5/5#PTI @ImranKhanPTI pic.twitter.com/pSSERXDGAl

— PTI (@PTIofficial) December 15, 2017