Minister of State for Petroleum says if anyone has to do politics in Pakistan, funds can only be received from Pakistani citizens.
ISLAMABAD - Minister of State for Petroleum Dr Musadik Malik on Friday said as per law of the land, no political party could get funds from other than Pakistani citizens and if anyone received finances from any foreign national or company, it would be considered “black and illegal money”.
“If anyone has to do politics in Pakistan, funds can only be received from Pakistani citizens, not anyone else.... you [any party] cannot take funds from any foreign state or its cabinet member, if taken, it will not only be considered illegal but the party will also be ceased as per Pakistani laws [on account of prohibited foreign funding],” he said while addressing a news conference. He said an international newspaper had narrated the story of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) foreign funds, which the party leadership received from Arif Naqvi, chief executive of a foreign company, ‘Abraj Capital’, which was being run with foreigners’ investment.
He said Arif Naqvi, working as the ‘fund manager’ of foreign investors, was now facing jail in the United Kingdom on charges of fraudulent activities and for involvement in different ‘black money schemes,’. He was also wanted by the US authorities after they unearthed his such illegal activities in America too.
“His [Arif Naqvi’s] name is on top of the list of major fraudsters, who carried out fraudulent activities across the world during last eight to ten years.” The minister said the PTI had been provided illegal and black money in the name of party funds by Arif Naqvi, who had ‘some interests’ in Pakistan. How Imran Khan could be a truthful and upright person if he had gotten such illegal and prohibited funds from abroad, he questioned.
Musadik Malik said a cricket club was established abroad for sending funds to the PTI and in that regard the first payment of $1.2 million was received from the Abraj Investment. The PTI also got £2 million from the cabinet member of a foreign country, he added. He recalled that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Quaid Nawaz Sharif was disqualified lifetime by the apex court for just holding an ‘Iqama’ (residential permit) of his son’s company.
