ISLAMABAD - PTI Chairman Imran Khan, in continuation of the on-going war of words with the PML-N, Friday hurled 11 questions pertaining to alleged corruption, writing off bank loans illegally, money laundering and tax evasion at Nawaz Sharif, as he responded to accusations levelled by PML-N leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan the other day.
Addressing a news conference at the party’s central secretariat, the PTI chief presented the details of his assets and his tax returns for the year 1981. The document shows Imran had submitted Rs 36,000 tax that he paid in 1981, contrary to the accusation of Nisar.
Imran questioned why Nawaz did not sue internationally acknowledged writer, Raymond Baker, who in his book accused him of $417 million corruption besides receiving commission of $160 million from Daewoo during the construction of Motorway.
Imran also demanded Nawaz to inform public about his source of income as he had bought four apartments in Mayfair (UK) worth Rs 4.5 billion.
“In 1994, you (Nawaz) stated your income as Rs 150,000 and you gave a tax of Rs 14,000. If this is your income, then how did you buy a property in Mayfair?” Imran asked. The PTI chief said Senator Ishaq Dar of PML-N had submitted an affidavit with Pervez Musharraf’s government, stating that Nawaz did money laundering by opening offshore accounts. “Lately, the BBC narrated that whole story through a film titled ‘Raiwind to Park Lane’.”
Imran also talked about $30 million loan Nawaz had taken from Al Taufiq Bank and later tried to write them off showing default. “When the bank attached your property in Mayfair, you repaid the loan of $30 million. From where did you generate that hefty amount?” Imran questioned. In another case, Imran claimed Nawaz took loans amounting of Rs6 billion from Pakistani banks but never returned the same and later managed to write them off.
He also asked the PML-N president about the source of income he utilised to purchase 1700 acres of land in Raiwind. He also alleged that billions of rupees out of taxpayers’ money were utilised to lay infrastructure and provision of other allied facilities at the locality.
Imran alleged that other members of Nawaz’ family - Hassan Nawaz, Hussain Nawaz, Kalsoom Nawaz and Maryam Nawaz - had valuable properties on their names in London. “You want to rule Pakistan, but you and your family’s properties are lying abroad,” he observed.
Imran said Nawaz established a steel mill with an investment of $150 million in Jeddah. “Do your tax returns match with your investments?” Imran questioned.
The PTI chief said Nawaz should inform public about volume of money he and his close friends managed to transfer abroad just a day before freezing the foreign accounts in Pakistan in 1998.
After posing questions, Imran asked Nawaz to present himself in the court of public, as he did, and respond to these allegations. “The time of self-accountability has come.”
“If you (Nawaz) want to bring back President Zardari’s money from Swiss banks, then you should first do your accountability.”
Imran made it clear that the Shaukat Khanum Cancer Hospital earned 10 per cent returns (profits) on an investment of $3 million made by its endowment board.
“The matter of fact is that owning to worldwide economic crunch, several reputable institutions suffered loss ranging between 20 to 30 per cent on their endowment funds, but we managed not only to secure actual investments but earned approximately 10 per cent profit against it,” Imran added.
According to the documents produced by Imran, he had sold his flat in London for approximately Rs 70 million and then purchased several acres land in suburbs of Islamabad at a cost of Rs 43.5 million.