Criminal case: PTI’s minorities wing chief in hot water

Sources claim Imran Khan has decided to remove Sajid Sandhu.

LAHORE:

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has decided to remove the president of his party’s Minorities Wing, Sajid Ishaq Sandhu, and will also withdraw his nomination for the minorities’ reserved seat in the National Assembly. This move followed the registration of a criminal case of a serious nature against Sandhu, according to PTI sources who confirmed this development to The Express Tribune.

They also said that, as per the PTI code of conduct, any person found involved in illicit activities will not be getting any sort of party post or ticket.

Party sources told The Express Tribune that Imran Khan was seriously concerned by the controversy surrounding Sandhu, especially after the registration of the case against him by complainant Zafar Iqbal.

Iqbal says he filed an application against Sandhu in the women’s police station in November last year, also alleging that Sandhu used his influence to prevent the police from pursuing the case. Iqbal says that it was only the court’s intervention that forced the police to register an FIR.

Iqbal alleged that Sandhu concealed from the Returning Officer (RO) during the scrutiny process on April 5th that he was on pre-arrest bail in a criminal case registered against him on April 3rd.

Meanwhile, The Express Tribune has learnt from reliable sources that intelligence agencies have launched inquiries into the phenomenal increase in wealth of Sajid Ishaq Sandhu in the last 10 years.

Sources told The Express Tribune that Sandhu and his father Ishaq Mazhar Sandhu were allegedly involved in massive financial irregularities in the funds of their two NGOs. “It is also being suspected that the NGOs are linked with foreign governments and are involved in dubious activities in Pakistan on their behalf,” said the sources, adding that detailed inquiries into the matter will unmask the “rags to riches” tale of the father and son duo who have been using religion to further their own interests.

Sajid Ishaq Sandhu, while talking to The Express Tribune, said that had not been informed of the PTI’s decision. He denied the allegations of massive financial irregularities in the funds of his NGOs and said that he declared his source of income, his list of assets and his income tax details in the nomination paper forms.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 12^th, 2013.