Disqualification case: SC seeks record of 18,564 acres land from Jahangir Tareen

ISLAMABAD (NNI): The Supreme Court, while observing discrepancies in the assets of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Jahangir Khan Tareen, has sought the record of 18,564 acres land in relation to the disqualification case against him.

A three-member bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, on Thursday resumed hearing the petition filed by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Hanif Abbasi seeking disqualification of Tareen for non-disclosure of his assets and ownership of offshore companies.

The Chief Justice in his remarks said that the official data will reveal under which conditions the land was bought.

Meanwhile, Justice Omar Bandiyal said that Tareen did not provide details of the payments of the leased lands. Tareen’s lawyer in his arguments responded that the case proceeded against his client on political basis.

Advocate Sikander Mohmand said that he will first obtain the documents and then submit then in relation to the leased lands. In response to one of the judge’s queries, Mohmand said that the concerned authorities had declared the assets fair after inquiry.

Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar on Wednesday said the Supreme Court should have heard the case against PTI Chairman Imran Khan and Tareen along with the Panama Papers case.

During the hearing, the chief justice observed: “Why were the cases against Imran and Tareen kept separate from the central case?” He noted that while it had been reported that 38 hearings of the disqualification case had been held, “nobody talked about the caution and calm with which these hearings were conducted”.

“We do not want anybody to be wronged,” he added. He said no documentary proof have been provided to the court so far that could establish that Tareen, being a federal minister, had used his influence for bank loan write-offs.