LAHORE – In a bid to counter the PML-N’s ‘political warfare’, the PTI has set up a special cell to gather information about the assets of the opponent party’s high command in foreign countries for throwing a question at the public about the financial resources accumulated abroad, The Nation has learnt.
While the PTI legal eagles will file a case in the court of law after Eid against PML-N leader Khawaja Asif, who accused Imran Khan of misusing the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Trust (SKMT) funds, being the chairman of its Board of Governors.
The case will primarily be filed by the SKMT, while some eminent lawyers, who are also senior PTI leaders, will assist the SKMT team during the proceedings of the case against Khawaja Asif.
Ahsan Rasheed, a senior PTI leader and member of party’s core group, when contacted, confirmed that a case would be filed against Khawaja Asif.
He maintained the Zakat donations to the SKMT increased after the baseless propaganda by the PML-N leader, which meant that people had rejected the PML-N propaganda and reposed confidence in Imran’s leadership and transparent working of the SKMT.
When asked about the special cell in the party to gather information regarding the PML-N top leadership, he avoided a direct answer but said one should have complete information about his enemy or competitor.
The sources in the PTI privy to the developments regarding a special cell in the party told this correspondent on Saturday that PTI’s core group member from Khyber Pukhtunkhawa and former spymaster Major (r) Masood Sharif Khattak was heading the special cell.
They added that Khattak had his team members were the PTI leaders with a background of intelligence work and policing.
The sources maintained Khattak, who launched successful operations being former chief of the Intelligence Bureau, could also employ the services of some of his retired former colleagues, both from the civilian and military intelligence services.
Sharing further details, they said the information regarding the PML-N top leadership’s assets could be utilised during the public campaign and as a reference filed in the superior courts asking the PML-N leadership for declaring its real assets.
Asked why the PTI need such a cell when the party leadership believed that Imran enjoyed popular sentiment, they quoted members of core group as saying that the party direly needed a system, which could be able to tackle the political assault of the PML-N keeping in view the Khawaja Asif’s episode.
It may be note here that Khawaja Asif has alleged that PTI Chairman Imran Khan had invested Zakat and donations money collected from the people of Pakistan in real estate business through some anonymous companies abroad and suffered a huge loss on the investments.
Imran responded to Khawaja by announcing that he would file a case against the PML-N leader to counter his allegations. He also stated that the PML-N leadership had also some baseless accusations against him during the 1997 elections campaign.
He claimed that the Khawaja Asif episode was the result of his 11 questions to PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif pertaining to money laundering and tax evasion.
On the other hand, Khawaja Asif welcomed Imran Khan’s decision to challenge his allegations in the court.