SC to hear petition on foreign assets of politicians, military officers
Petitioner claims that the foreign assets are worth a staggering $5billion.
ISLAMABAD:
The Supreme Court on Wednesday said it would hear the petition regarding foreign assets of civil and military officers and has formed a larger bench to conduct the hearing on October 31.
The petition was filed in the apex court by former Information Minister Mohammad Ali Durrani. The petition states that certain Pakistani civilian and military officials, politicians and businessmen have made money through illegal means and subsequently laundered it to Switzerland and other countries.
Mr Durrani claims that the foreign assets are worth a staggering $5billion.
He also said that according to the UN convention, this money belongs to Pakistan and the court should direct the government to bring it back.
Earlier this year, 30 members of Parliament admitted to having assets outside the country.
Among the parliamentarians who admitted to having assets abroad are National Assembly Speaker Fehmida Mirza, Finance Minister Abdul Hafeez Sheikh, Interior Minister Rehman Malik, Babar Khan Ghauri from the MQM, Senator Ishaq Dar from the PML-N, Senator Tariq Azeem from PML-Q and former minister Azam Khan Sawati from JUI-F.
Last week, the Lahore High Court chief justice issued notices to some of the country’s most prominent politicians, including Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, following a writ petition alleging they were misappropriating public funds.
Chief Justice Ijaz Ahmed Chaudhry directed President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, among others, to file their replies, along with their affidavits, regarding the details of their worldwide assets by the first week of December.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday said it would hear the petition regarding foreign assets of civil and military officers and has formed a larger bench to conduct the hearing on October 31.
The petition was filed in the apex court by former Information Minister Mohammad Ali Durrani. The petition states that certain Pakistani civilian and military officials, politicians and businessmen have made money through illegal means and subsequently laundered it to Switzerland and other countries.
Mr Durrani claims that the foreign assets are worth a staggering $5billion.
He also said that according to the UN convention, this money belongs to Pakistan and the court should direct the government to bring it back.
Earlier this year, 30 members of Parliament admitted to having assets outside the country.
Among the parliamentarians who admitted to having assets abroad are National Assembly Speaker Fehmida Mirza, Finance Minister Abdul Hafeez Sheikh, Interior Minister Rehman Malik, Babar Khan Ghauri from the MQM, Senator Ishaq Dar from the PML-N, Senator Tariq Azeem from PML-Q and former minister Azam Khan Sawati from JUI-F.
Last week, the Lahore High Court chief justice issued notices to some of the country’s most prominent politicians, including Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, following a writ petition alleging they were misappropriating public funds.
Chief Justice Ijaz Ahmed Chaudhry directed President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, among others, to file their replies, along with their affidavits, regarding the details of their worldwide assets by the first week of December.