Page 13 - Urdu Link - May 25, 2018

PAKISTAN MAY 25, 2018 – PAKISTAN LINK – P13

I Was Never Involved in, or Associated with, Imran Khan Slams Nawaz

Acquisition of London Properties: Nawaz on Avenfi eld Statement

Islamabad: Recording his state- Nawaz said that serious ques- Islamabad: PTI chairman Imran
ment in the Avenfi eld reference be- tions had been raised over NAB’s Khan has described former Prime
fore the accountability court in Is- acquisition of the JIT report from Minister Nawaz Sharif’s court state-
lamabad on Monday, ousted prime SC as there was no record of the ment about his alleged properties in
minister Nawaz Sharif denied own- acquisition available with the apex London as “absolutely shameful.”
ership of the London properties court and the offi cial who acquired Khan’s reaction came hours
and told the court that he had not it had not been included as a wit- aft er Nawaz Sharif told an ac-
been privy to any transactions for ness in the case. countability court that he had no
the acquisition of the properties. He added that following SC’s link with the Avenfi eld apartments
Nawaz and his family mem- verdict in the Panama Papers case, which were owned by his sons.
bers are facing three references — the investigating offi cer was forced Mr Sharif said that his children
Avenfi eld properties, Al-Azizia and to fi le the references against him as were British nationals and that Pak-
Flagship Investment Co — fi led by he had no other options. istani law did not apply to them.
the National Accountability Bureau Addressing NAB’s allegations “Absolutely shameful! A thrice-
(NAB) under the directives of the that he had failed to appear despite elected PM today declared before
Supreme Court in its July 28, 2017 being served a notice, Nawaz said NAB Court that the Avenfi eld Apts
Panama Papers judgement. that he never personally received [apartments] belonged to his sons
Th e PML-N supremo, his the notice nor was there any evi- and he didn’t know where they got
daughter Maryam, and son-in-law dence to prove that the security of- the money from! But as they are UK
retired Captain Muhammad Saf- fi cer at his Jati Umra residence re- citizens the law of Pakistan does not
dar, have been asked to record fi nal launch in 2007. ceived it. apply to them acc to NS! Qatari let- his “money laundering.”
statements in their defense in the Earlier this year, the British He clarifi ed that he directed ter also disowned,” Khan tweeted. “Th is means anyone, like
references under Section 342 of the forensic handwriting document his lawyers to fi le a reply aft er fi nd- In a second tweet, the PTI chief Dar [Ishaq Dar], can park his kids
Criminal Procedure Code and to examination expert had told the ac- ing out about the notice through said that aft er wasting two years in abroad along with his looted wealth
produce, on record, anything con- countability court that at the time media. Supreme Court and and JIT as well & simply say he doesn’t know where
tradicting the statements of the 19 when the trust deed of the property Nawaz also said that during as taxpayer money, Nawaz Sharif his kids money came from!” Imran
prosecution witnesses in the case. was prepared in February 2006, the the course of the JIT probe and the now fi nds an absurd way to justify Khan added.
Accountability Court Judge Calibri font only existed in a beta fi ling of the references, he was not
Muhammad Bashir had prepared version and was not commercially given the right to a free trial as en- Gen Aslam Gen Durrani
a questionnaire of 128 questions available before January 2007. shrined in Article 10A of the Con-
and handed it over to the counsel Moving on to questions re- stitution. Beg’s Startling Admits ISI’s Role
representing the Sharif family on garding the Gulf Steel Mills, Nawaz Th e ousted premier, during
May 16. According to the question- said that he did not directly know his testimony, said the prosecution Revelations in 1990 Polls
naire, the court has asked Nawaz if where the funds for the creation of could not produce any evidence
he was the benami owner of Nescoll the factory came from. “However, that links him to the London fl ats. Islamabad: Islamabad:
and Nielsen, the two off shore com- Tariq Shafi ’s statement suggests that Former Chief Former spy
panies that were shown as having the Gulf Steel Mills were created Five KP of Army chief Lt Gen
ownership of the Avenfi eld fl ats. through loans.” Staff General (retd) Asad
Testifying before the court Nawaz testifi ed that he was Lawmakers Mirza Aslam Durrani has
Monday, Nawaz said, “I was never not aware of how Gulf Steel Mills Beg has admi t t e d
involved in or associated with the ran and was not a witness to how Send Defamation claimed that that the ‘Po-
acquisition of the London proper- it was sold, adding that his knowl- he had stern- litical Cell’
ties through any real or benefi cial edge about the matter was based on Notices to ly warned of ISI (Inter-
title.” hearsay. the then ISI Services In-
Regarding the money trail of “Tariq Shafi was neither named Imran Khan chief Lt Gen Asad Durrani against telligence) carried out a political
the London properties, Nawaz said, a suspect in these trials nor was he dragging the military into “politi- assessment ahead of the 1990 elec-
“I have never been a participant in called in as a witness in the case,” Peshawar: Five estranged Pakistan cal engineering” ahead of the 1990 tions. Th e former director general
or eyewitness to any of the transac- Nawaz said during his testimony. Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers elections. Th e startling revelations of ISI also admitted that the-then
tions mentioned in Tariq Shafi ’s af- “It is a reality that I was taken on Monday sent defamation no- came as part of his statement to a Chief of Army Staff General Mirza
fi davit.” into custody on October 12, 1999. tices to party chief Imran Khan team of the Federal Investigation Aslam Beg was his boss and was in
Shafi , a relative of Nawaz, in his Aft er that I was sent off to Saudi for levelling allegation that they Agency (FIA) probing the alleged the know.
affi davit claimed that he deposited Arabia,” Nawaz said, adding that he sold their votes during the Senate distribution of estimated Rs148 “[ISI] Political Cell was es-
12 million dirhams in cash with the is aware that his father Mian Sharif elections held in March. crores among politicians to pollute tablished by [Zulfi kar Ali] Bhutto
Qatari ruling family following the had made Hussain and Maryam Imran Khan, in a press con- the 1990 polls in the country. in 1975. It was recommendation of
sale of the Gulf Steel Mills in 1980. Nawaz directors of Hudaibiya Pa- ference in April, had revealed the “I called [General] Asad Dur- some board. A study was carried
In the affi davit dated Jan 20, per Mills. names of 20 MPAs from Khyber rani and warned him to be careful out for this. It is possible that the
2017, which was also part of the “I also know that Hassan Pakhtunkhwa who were allegedly in the handling of those [ISI] funds. mandate and name was diff erent
concise statement submitted by Nawaz was made a shareholder in involved in horse-trading during Aft er this, I never again discussed but it carried out political assess-
Hussain Nawaz, Shafi stated that the Hudaibiya Paper Mills by my the Senate elections. this matter with him [Durrani]. I ment [ahead of 1990 polls]. DG ISI
he had deposited the massive sum deceased father,” he added. Qurban Ali Khan, Yaseen gave him no names of politicians or reports to PM as Chief Executive,
with Sheikh Fahad bin Jassim bin Reservations over JIT, NAB: Khalil, Abdul Haq Khan, Zahid the money to be distributed, because President as head of the state/C-in-
Jaber Al-Th ani of Qatar, aft er re- During his testimony, Nawaz ex- Durrani and Ubaidullah Mayar this was entirely his domain, and C and also briefs three chiefs [three
ceiving each instalment from Mo- pressed his reservations over the — among the 20 named by the he was responsible to report to the armed forces]. COAS [Aslam Beg]
hammad Abdullah Kayed Ahli. formation of the Panamagate Joint PTI chief — sent defamation no- president,” Gen Beg revealed in his was my boss,” Gen Durrani’s star-
During his testimony, Nawaz Investigation Team (JIT) and the tices to the PTI chief on Monday, written statement submitted to the tling revelations came as part of his
said that he could not say anything selection of its six members. demanding an apology within 14 FIA and the apex court. statement to a team of the Federal
about the documents his son Hus- He claimed that the JIT head, days and payment of damages “Durrani violated the army’s Investigation Agency (FIA) probing
sain had submitted in the apex Wajid Zia, had hired his own close amounting to Rs1 billion or face rule by opening several accounts the alleged distribution of estimated
court with regard to the London relative to “produce fabricated evi- legal proceedings. in the name of 202 Survey Section, Rs148 crores among politicians to
apartments. dence” against the Sharif family. Terming the allegations placed under his command for oper- pollute the 1990 polls in the country.
Hussain is also accused in this Nawaz also said in court that against him as totally false and ational intelligence purposes only. I Before this, Gen Mirza Aslam
case but has been absconding since Bilal Rasool, another member of defamatory, Qurban Ali also al- came to know of this breach of trust, Beg claimed that he had vehemently
the trial began. the JIT, is a close relative of former leged that he was defamed and only in 1996 when he so deposed warned the-then spy chief Gen Dur-
‘Neither a real nor benami Lahore mayor Mian Azhar, while removed from the post of adviser in his affi davit before the Supreme rani against dragging the military
owner’: Responding to a question State Bank of Pakistan’s Amer Aziz to Chief Minister Pervaiz Khattak Court. I have had no knowledge who into “political engineering” ahead
regarding his address to the nation was also a part of the investigation aft er he refused to illegally ap- all operated this account. I knew of the 1990 polls. “I warned Durrani
and his speech on the fl oor of the of the Hudaibiya Paper mills refer- point people according to Khat- Brig Hamid Saeed as operation com- to be careful in handling of those
National Assembly, Nawaz said, “I ence — which was quashed by the tak’s wishes. mander 202 Survey Section and not [ISI] funds. Aft er this, I never again
never stated on those occasions that Lahore High Court. Th e PTI chief had held the as the ISI account holder and funds discussed this matter with him
I was ever a real or benefi cial owner Regarding the appointments press conference last month aft er distributor to the politicians. He [Durrani]. I gave him no names of
of the London fl ats. Rather, it has of Brigadier Nouman Saeed of the his party lost the Senate seats to [Durrani] claims to have distributed politicians or the money to be dis-
always been my constant stance Inter-Services Intelligence and the PPP it was expected to win. funds, and recorded in his handwrit- tributed, because this was entirely
that I was neither a real or benami Brigadier Kamran Khursheed of Th e lawmakers mentioned ten notes as proof, which have no his domain, and he was responsible
owner of the Avenfi eld Flats.” the Military Intelligence to the JIT, by Imran had denied the allega- legality. Similarly, Durrani claims to report to the president,” Gen Beg
In reply to a query relating to Nawaz said, “Th eir appointments tions with some threatening to having distributed funds, with no revealed in his written statement
forensic expert Robert M. Radley, were inappropriate with the obvi- disclose “secrets” of party leader- witnesses, no written or verbal proof submitted to the FIA and the apex
Nawaz said that Radley was not a ous fallout on the JIT proceedings, ship, including Khattak and Im- of such transactions. It is a sheer lie. court.
“font expert” and that he had ad- given the civil-military tension that ran Khan himself. Durrani involved 202 Survey Section Gen Durrani also admitted in
mitted in his statement that the Ca- has plagued the country through- Mayar and Durrani have in this game intentionally, to involve the same affi davit that “ISI mandate
libri font was available prior to its out its 70-year history.” since joined the PPP. BEG, P28 DURRANI, P28
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