NAB court extends judicial remand of Aleem Khan till April 30

F.P. Report

LAHORE: Accountability court has extended judicial remand of former senior minister of Punjab, till April 30 in assets beyond income and offshore companies cases, on Saturday.

According to details, senior leader of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) appeared before the court during which, NAB officials requested to extend his judicial remand.

The court directed the anti-corruption watchdog to submit final report on the cases in next hearing.

On February 6, Aleem was detained by the NAB while recording his statement in a case lined to an offshore company unveiled in the Panama Papers leaks.

On February 7, the court sent him on a nine-day physical remand in NAB’s custody.

During hearing of the case on February 15, the NAB’s prosecutor told the court that in 2003, Aleem Khan was an ordinary citizen and suddenly in 2007, he became millionaire with 35 companies.

The NAB’s prosecutor maintained that the PTI leader concealed his assets.

The NAB prosecutor maintained that AED30 million were transferred from Pakistan to Dubai and the accused failed to provide details.

Aleem Khan’s counsel maintained that the money was sent from the account of Aleem’s mother and that his client has submitted all of his documents to NAB.

LAHORE: Former senior minister of Punjab, Aleem Khan will be presented in accountability court in the assets beyond means and offshore companies case, on Saturday (today).

According to details, the authorities will produce PTI leader before the court as his judicial remand expires today.

During the last hearing, the accountability judge had asked the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) prosecutor about filing of reference against the PTI leader. The prosecutor replied investigation was under way and it will be filed soon.

He said the corruption watchdog had to obtain more record in the case due to which it was unable to file the reference.

Showing dismay over delay in filing of reference, the judge observed that filing a final reference was the bureau’s responsibility which it should fulfill at the earliest.

According to NAB, Aleem being the Secretary of Parkview Cooperative Housing Society, Member of the Provincial Assembly of Punjab and Minister for Information Technology held public office and during the period was involved in acts of corruption and corrupt practices by way of accumulating assets beyond known sources of income within Pakistan and outside.

Furthermore, the bureau said, the accused established multiple companies with the purpose of real estate business and invested millions of rupees.

He has been accused of buying more than 900 kanal land in different villages of Lahore in the name of his company M/s A&A Pvt. Ltd. and also paid advances for additional 600 kanal land for which he could not account for the sources of the investments.

In year 2005 and 2006, apart from inland assets, he established offshore companies in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the United Kingdom (UK) with these companies acquiring assets of extensive value which are beyond known sources of income of the accused.