PTI publishes Imran’s asset declaration
While Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI’s) top leadership declared their assets on the party’s official website last week, party chief Imran Khan finally declared his tax returns on Tuesday – which had remained conspicuously incomplete till then.
The tax returns were published on the website after a query from The Express Tribune asking why the tax returns were incomplete. An extra page was added, after which party leader Asad Umar said, “The tax returns issue has been solved now.”
The additional page stated that Imran paid Rs90, 421 income taxes in 2009, Rs1.85 million in 2010 and Rs0.32 million in 2011. The updated version further stated that the PTI chairperson has net assets worth Rs22.9 million and liabilities worth Rs0.38 million, in addition to the land he owns. However, he did not mention the worth of his 1,644 kanals of inherited land, located in Bhakkar, Khanewal, Sheikhupura and Islamabad.
Significantly, Imran stated in his recent assets statement that the 300 kanals of land he owns in Islamabad was inherited, although he has said in the past during a press conference that this piece of land was purchased.
Meanwhile, an official of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) told The Express Tribune that Imran had submitted an assets declaration statement of Rs50.62 million in NA-71, Kundian, Mianwali in 2002.
As per tax returns, Imran had declared Rs73 million worth in assets and two banks accounts in 2004 and Rs81.5 million in 2005, according to the Federal Board of Revenue’s documents distributed by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan at a press conference last month. Nisar further told the media that PTI chairman’s assets decreased to Rs34.5 million in 2006.
PTI Central Information Secretary Shafqat Mehmood, while clarifying Imran’s statements regarding his assets, said, “Imran Khan’s assets posted on the website are authentic and there is no contradiction at all.”
Regarding the 300 kanals of land in Islamabad, Mehmood said Imran’s former wife Jemima Khan bought this property and said it was registered in her name. “So the ownership does not fit the basic description of a benami property,” he explained in a statement.
PTI is the first political party whose top leaders have declared their assets and posted the party’s assets statement on their official website.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 29th, 2012.
COMMENTS (41)
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Pakistan should have a leader whose assets are comparable to average citizen. Real leaders in the world all came from humble backgrounds. For example 90% of the presidents and prime ministers of USA, Canada, UK, Australia and many other advanced countries where intellect not the wealth is the criteria.
I am his fan, I see he pays one tenth of tax what I pay, meand he is making less than me. I want to swap in my asstes and income with him, as a scarifice,, Pls pls pls.
@Ch. Allahdaad: What a great vision of Nawaz Sharif..."laptop scheme"....FOR GOD's SAKE ! I thought this comment was a satire but you were serious?
@ahmer: He declares it and thats enough. His accountant must know what tax to be paid. Why NS and Zardari and all politicians not declares their assets. When IK come into power any assets not declared and later find out will be taken over and deposit in the Pakistan treasury. Just wait and see.
r:
@Ch. Allahdaad:
I am sorry to know educated Pakistanis are so naive and cant tell a spade is spade. This is the reason Pakistan is such a mess. He cant see NS crimes and looting of Pakistan's wealth. You must be getting a share that is the reason you cant see. Remember you have to die one day and give proof of what you say to Allah swt.
@Falcon: nawaz bhai is only leader in pak. he will save country from looters. khan saab have no vision with great ideas e.g. laptop scheme.
@wah ja: Point 1: Yes IK didn't have money because he is waiting on his flat in London to be sold. Point 2: Yes. This is how it works in many families in Pakistan. I know this from own family experience. Asking for a transfer of title from one person's name to another person's name in a closely knit family is some times considered as sign of lack of trust. Point 3: He has declared it as an asset. He has just shown it as a gift. As I said, tax was paid by Jemima and indirectly IK the first time when the property was bought. Why is it so difficult to understand?
this is why i am fan of nawaz bhai. he pays a lot more taxes than imran.
I think the issue of property in Islamabad is being over-exploited to the ignorance of masses. Following is the sequence that helps understand the issue: 1. Land was purchased by Jemima when IK didn't have money. 2. IK paid her money afterwards but didn't transfer property in his name, as is the case in many Pakistani families. 3. IK & Jemima had an unfortunate divorce. 4. Jemima had to transfer property in IK's name but since the amount had already been paid to Jemima, now it could only have been transferred in the form of gift. Lastly, if it is the issue of taxes, they were already paid on the property when it was bought out the first time by the couple.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/302389/nawaz-paid-rs2-5m-shahbaz-rs5m-in-taxes/ who paid more taxes decide yourself. what goes around comes around, now Imran is facing difficulties in explaining his tax returns.
Tax thief.
Hard to believe his net worth is only 19 million. That's barely 2 corore rupees. I would like to purchase his palatial home if it is really that inexpensive.
I am sure PML-N and PPP are not going to follow suit, they are looters
Wonder if PML-N & PPP would follow suit....would Nawaz Sharif show that he has more than 5K in his wealth statement or would he stick to his original 5K as 'cash in hand'.
Yes......@Shah:
For all the Naysayers ...
Before you criticize this move by PTI why don't you demand a declaration of assets from political players from the parties who have formed governments in Pakistan twice or more.
The very leaders criticizing the declaration the loudest would be the ones who will be the last to declare their own assets. In fact, the reason they will make so much noise would be to detract attention from what they are hiding
@Shah:
yes they are and im not sure but i believe Jemima did acquire Pak nationality when married to IK.
he has so much property and assets and he pays less tax then most salaried people.....BS!!!
top political parties now it’s your time to declare your assets. we know how you guys have made your assets.
This is hard to believe.
@ET Why you are critizing PTI only despite of the fact that they have declared their assets and made it public. Why you never highlighted the lackness in income tax returns of senior members of PML-N and PPP.
The 300 kanals are not mentioned as inherited. Wrongly reported here, no surprise! . Whether all correct or not, the real question is: Why other parties have not made their asset declarations publicly available?
WHATTTTTTTTTTTTTT... I pay 0.2 million of tax and i am jst a regular employee in an IT firm... shame shame shame! Assets and returns full of lies... inherited lands...zero value... aunty jemima plz come up with a clarification tweet again!
Thanks Tribune for giving important news. We do not know the truth but we hope that newspapers will bring out the truth. IMRAN Khan has taken the lead. Let us see what senior leaders of other political parties will do. Welcome all.... Be brave. Be truthful. Be honest for the sake of the country.
Sometimes i think he's lying ..but then i look around, and find no one to compete with him. Imran truly has something which no other political party of Pakistan has.. Lets see, what Nawaz group and PPP has to say on this! ( khe khe khe )
ET will never appreciate IK whatever he does...
Slowly and gradually all the skeletons will jump out of the closet :-)
why are you making such a fuss about his assessts he was not in governement. those who are were in government didnt delacre their assests at all
I guess now its time for other party heads to put up their asset details. I think we have enough of screening one man, its time that every party head puts up their details and the media can scrutinize it.
now instead of trying to find unnecessary loopholes it would be better if people convinced all other political leaders to declare their assets and make it public for everybody to see
Are foreigners allowed to purchase land/plots in Pakistan?
An initiative must be applauded!!!
Thats reallly cool