Panama Papers: Imran Khan submits evidence against Sharif family

Islamabad: Cricketer-turned politician Imran Khan on Monday submitted to the Supreme Court evidence relating to the Panama Papers Leak case against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, showing that premier’s family laundered Rs. 145 million since 1988 through illegal business to evade taxes.

Khan, the chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), submitted the documents containing details of alleged bank accounts held by the Sharif family and loan write-off schemes.

Dawn Online reported that the documents showing that the premier’s family has laundered Rs. 145 million since 1988 through illegal hundi/hawala business to evade taxes.

During this period of money laundering of Rs. 145 million, the documents claim, “Sharif paid only Rs. 897 in income tax”.

The documents submitted by Khan through Advocate Naeem Bokhari.

The papers also contain excerpts from a book by journalist Asad Kharal, in which he made several revelations regarding Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

Khan claimed in the documents that the Sharif family sent an amount of over Rs. 56 million out of the country between 1988 and 1991.

It is alleged in the documents that two hawala dealers from Peshawar were used to “siphon off” large amounts of money abroad in order to “whiten Sharif’s black money” and to evade income and wealth taxes.

The money laundered to a bank in the United Arab Emirates and elsewhere was exchanged into foreign currency and “repatriated [to Pakistan] in the name of 43 Sharif family members”.

The alleged transfer of funds and purchases of assets overseas was disclosed in a statement by Khalid Siraj, “first cousin and business partner” of Sharif, the documents claim.

The Supreme Court hearing five identical petition against Mr Sharif will resume hearing the Panama case on Tuesday.
PTI