LAHORE: An accountability court, on Tuesday, sent Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) senior leader, Aleem Khan, on judicial remand till March 18 on charges of offshore companies and possession of assets beyond means.
National Accountability Bureau (NAB) officials requested Judge Syed Najamul Hassan for an extension in the remand for invetsigation while producing Aleem in the hearing scheduled for the conclusion of his remand.
The defence counsel argued that there remained no need to extend his client’s remand as he had already submitted relevant documents with regard to his client’s offshore companies and other assets to the bureau.
The judge, however, rejected the request and sent Aleem to prison on a 15-day judicial remand.
Routes leading to the judicial complex were blocked using barbed wires and containers while anti-riot police was put on high alert in the vicinity of the court when the hearing was underway.
Earlier, on February 25, the court had extended the physical remand of the PTI stalwart for nine days till March 5 on the NAB’s request for a 15-days extension. The judge was then told that while over 30 people had been summoned for the ongoing investigation, only eight people had shown up. The NAB representative had added that the extension in remand was necessary for further probe. The bureau had then contended that Aleem was unable to disclose the details of his properties in Dubai.
Meanwhile, NAB had gotten hold of a record of hos properties in Dubai, which were
worth 28 million UAE dirhams. This amount was not mentioned in Khan’s asset details, he added.
The NAB prosecutor told the court how Aleem had risen from a common man in 2000 to a millionaire in less than two decades as his assets were now worth Rs 871 million. He served as Punjab minister from 2003 to 2007 and set up 35 companies, while his several bank accounts also surfaced. The court was also apprised on how Aleem had not been able to provide a money trail for his property in Lahore, which had now been sold. The fomer minister was accused of availing benefits over Rs140 million under the Federal Board of Revenue’s tax amnesty scheme
Aleem’s lawyer had denied all such charged and claimed that his client had submitted all relevant documents to the bureau.
Earlier, the former minister was taken into custody on February 6 when he showed up for investigation at NAB Complex Thokar Niaz Beg on the charges of owning assets beyond known means. The Bureau claimed that the accused was facing many inquiries, including one offshore company, Hexam Investment Overseas Ltd; and his involvement in Park View Housing Society, River Age Housing Society, and Multan Road.
Aleem is also accused of acquiring assets by misusing his authority as the general secretary of the Park View Housing Society and as a past member of the provincial assembly.
In January 2018, the accountability watchdog had sought the records and details of offshore companies by Aleem and Pakistan Muslim League’s (PML-Q) Chaudhry Moonis Elahi.
The bureau got hold of a Mutual Legal Assistance report with reference to Aleem in January, based upon which he was summoned.
NAB claims that Aleem had started a real state business and invested tens of millions of rupees therein. For which, he had bought 900 kanals of land and a further 600 kanals of land through a dummy company, A&A Private Ltd.
It further maintains that the PTI stalwart is yet unable to show the sources of income with which he purchased the land.
Aleem is also accused of establishing offshore companies in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Britain in 2005 and 2006, and using them to purchase assets.
Soon after he was arrested, Aleem tendered his resignation to Punjab Chief Minister, Usman Buzdar.
Published in Daily Times, March 6th 2019.