ISLAMABAD - Two separate petitions have been moved in Supreme Court by the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Monday requesting it to lifetime disqualify Co-Chairperson Pakistan People Party (PPP) Asif Ali Zardari as member of Parliament for allegedly concealing his assets.

Sindh MPA Khurram Sher Zaman and another PTI leader Usman Dar in their petitions alleged that Zardari in his nomination papers concealed his property located in New York City and armoured vehicles.

The petitions under Article 184 (3) are filed by Advocate Bashir Mohmand making Zardari, Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and secretary National Assembly as respondents.

Zardari was elected MNA in the general elections 2018 for the constituency NA-213.

The FIR lodged by FIA after the case regarding alleged billions of rupees money laundering through fake bank accounts mentioned that Zardari Group received an amount of Rs 15,000,000 from a fake account as beneficiary.

The Joint Investigation Team (JIT), constituted to probe the fake bank accounts, in its final report had revealed that Zardari in 2007 had purchased a luxury apartment in the building known as ‘The Belaire Condominium’ located in New York City for USD 530,000. According to the petitions, Zardari also owns two imported armoured vehicles.

The paras regarding Zardari in JIT report, which is mere a fact finding inquiry and National Accountability Bureau (NAB) is yet to probe further before filing its reference, have been made grounds for lifetime disqualification of Zardari under Article 62 (1)(f).

Additionally, the petitioners also alleged that Zardari in 2015 further purchased a Parking Space for the New York Apartment, at an estimated cost of USD 130,000, which has also not been disclosed by him in his nomination papers.

The petitions contended that Zardari had evidently given a patently evasive reply in his comments regarding the above mentioned assets.

The PTI leaders claimed that the documents appended with the instant petitions are duly certified and the same are official record of City of New York, Department of Finance.

Regarding the vehicles, the petitioners claimed that the documents attached with the petitions are official record of Excise & Taxation Department Islamabad.

These documents constitute a concrete and irrefutable evidence and proof and hence cannot be displaced or rejected or ignored simply on the basis of the bare, non-specific and evasive reply, it further added. 

The petitions further claimed that Zardari intentionally and dishonestly chose to conceal ownership of these assets in his nomination papers adding that he is liable to be disqualified under Article 62(1)(f) of the Constitution and Section 231 of the Election Act as MNA.

According to the documents attached with petitions, copy of ‘Real Property Transfer Report’ of the State of New York names Zardari as the buyer of the New York Apartment and Denton Louis Peoples and Mary Ann Zannon Peoples as the seller.

The same transfer report shows that the full sale price of the New York apartment was USD 530,000.

The said document of transfer report is as issued and certified by the Department of Finance, Office of the City Register and also countersigned by the Consulate General of Pakistan in New York.

Unit Power of Attorney in relation to the New York Apartment which allegedly refers to Zardari as the owner of the New York apartment, which is executed on his behalf by Mehreen Shah as his Attorney-in-Fact.

The petitions further added that Zardari has also intentionally suppressed and concealed his ownership of a separate and additional property and asset being a ‘parking space’.