Daily Times

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan said on Saturday that democracy cannot flourish unless there is rule of law, while mentioning a trustworthy judicial system would safeguard the supremacy of constitution. Taking to twitter, he added the nation praised the decision of the Lahore High Court and the people were with the judiciary for the revival of hope in the court system. Meanwhile, PTI chief also met lawyers group under leadership of President District Bar Association Gujranwala Chaudhry ParvezAbidHaral who formally announced his affiliation with the party. Meanwhile, Imran Khan on Saturday denied sending funds abroad via money laundering while testifying before an Islamabad district and sessions court in a Rs10 billion damages suit he had filed against Defence Minister Khawaja Asif for allegations regarding ShaukatKhanam Memorial Trust’s (SKMT) financial affairs.

ADSJ Umeed Ali Balochpresided over the hearing while HaiderRasool Mirza appeared as Asif’s counsel and Waleed Iqbal was present to represent Imran. At the outset of the proceeding, when Asif’s counsel began questioning the PTI chief, the latter acknowledged that “an investment of $3 million was done in 2008” but said “the investment amount was returned to ShaukatKhanum [Memorial Trust] in 2015”. Imran added, “The $3m amount remained in the possession of HBG Group, whose chief executive is ImtiazHyderi, for seven years. ImtiazHyderi was included in the committee that accepted the $3m amount for investment.”He claimed that Hyderi had not accepted the investment for “personal gains”.

The PTI chief said, “The investment was discussed in the board meeting. When Khawaja Asif was sent the legal notice, the investment amount had not been returned.” He further said, “ImtiazHyderi has remained ShaukatKhanum Hospital’s (SKH) donor for the past 16 years. I do not know if ImtiazHyderi was the PTI’s donor as well or not”. The former premier continued, “Numerous overseas Pakistani give donations for ShaukatKhanum Hospital. I did not misguide the court about ImtiazHyderi’s character.”

Imran denied remembering anyone named Sheikh SaleemAlmashani, upon which Asif’s counsel said the PTI chief had written the name in the compensation notice, adding that Almashani “lives in Oman and is ImtiazHyderi’s partner”. In response, the PTI chief said, “I do not know about Oman’s project. The hospital’s Board of Governors passed the acceptance. I do not know how much investment was done. I do not know what is happening in the Oman project.I do not know when the Endowment Fund Board was made. I only know that it was established in the 90s.” To this, Asif’s counsel said, “But in the Board of Governors’ meeting in 2005, you had said the Endowment Fund Board has not been made yet.'” He asked if Imran knew about “investment in offshore companies”, to which the latter responded he did not know about SKH’s “decisions” and that the hospital board does not consult him before taking decisions.”I have now come to know that SKH’s money has been invested in two offshore companies,” Imran claimed, adding that as far as he knew, “there had only been profit from the SKH investments”.

The PTI chief endorsed SKH records while admitting that the investment was done on the basis of an arrangement where profits were to go to the SKH while losses would be borne by Hyderi. Asif’s counsel remarked that the “same happens in Ponzi schemes as well”, to which Imran replied that SKH investments were not a Ponzi scheme as they got their money back. When Asif’s counsel reminded the former premier that the investments were mentioned in the bank notice, Imran responded he did not know about the investment, its profit and loss, or even when the investment was made.”I am not an economic expert. The economic experts in the Board of Governors oversee these matters,” he asserted.