SC observes record does not show Imran's continuous income flow from county cricket

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Tuesday observed that the banking transactions record submitted by PTI chief Imran Khan did not show a continuous flow of his income.

During the hearing of case seeking disqualification of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman for committing tax theft and owning offshore companies, Justice Umar Ata Bandial remarked that only some payments from Sussex county were mentioned in the banking transactions record, which were not enough to prove continuous flow of income from cricket played by Imran Khan in England.

The court earlier questioned as to whether the PTI chief had enough money to buy the flat in London. Upon this, Imran Khan's counsel Naeem Bukhari replied that his client had played for Worchestershire and Sussex counties in England, besides being associated with New South Wales and playing Kerry Packer' World Cricket Series in Australia.

The petition was filed by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Hanif Abbasi seeking disqualification of PTI chief and Secretary General Jehangir Tareen for owning offshore companies and acquiring party funds through prohibited and illegal sources.

The case was heard by the three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Mian Sqib Nisar and comprising Justice Umar Ata Bandial and Justice Faisal Arab.

Imran Khan's counsel apprised the bench that his client had not mentioned his London flat in the tax returns as he had declared it under a tax amnesty scheme.

Naeem Bukhari said since the income earned abroad was not taxable in Pakistan, so taxes were not paid here on the amount spent for the purchase of the flat. Imran Khan had declared the said property via tax amnesty scheme and it meant that there was no need to declare it in the yearly tax returns again , he claimed.

He said that his client declared the London flat in his nomination documents, filed in 2002 for contesting elections.

Regarding the money trail for purchasing Bani Gala property, Naeem Bukhari presented Rashid Khan as a witness, who testified that he had received money from Imran's ex-wife Jemima in this regard.

He said the issues in the court were related to non-declaration of Niazi Services, tax evasion and unjustified benefits from tax amnesty scheme.

The chief justice observed that the banking transaction record would be got verified. On which, Naeem Bukhari said he was not sure that some banks involved in the transactions were still functional.

The chief justice observed that if the banks had been closed, then as how Imran acquired this record. Naeem Bukhari replied that the record was obtained from an old accountant.

The court adjourned the hearing of the case until July 31, ordering Bukhari to submit all necessary documents on Wednesday.

The court also decided to take up the matter of Jehangir Tareen's disqualification on Wednesday.