SC seeks record of Jahangir Tareen’s agricultural lands

ISLAMABAD (NNI): The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the counsel for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) secretary general Jahangir Khan Tareen to place on record the registered document of more than 18,000 acres of agricultural land which his client claims to have obtained on lease.

Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, who headed a three-member bench, observed that there is no verified document to show who leased out the land, and whether who received the amount was actual owner of the land.

The bench directed the counsel to provide the registered deed of the lease which it would get verified from the revenue department. At the outset, Tareen’s lawyer told the court that his client had acquired 18,600 acres of agricultural land in 2010 on lease.

It was hearing a petition filed by PML-N leader Hanif Abbasi seeking disqualification of PTI chairman Imran Khan and Tareen over non disclosure of assets, offshore companies, and receiving funds from prohibited sources for the party.

Hanif Abbasi had moved the apex court seeking disqualification of both the PTI leaders from membership of the National Assembly. The court was further pleaded to declare them ineligible to hold any office of a political party under the Political Parties Order 2002.

PML-N leader claimed that Jehangir misstated his income for the tax year 2010-11 and willfully and fraudulently concealed the fact that he owns an offshore company.

Whereas, Khan did not declare his offshore company – Niazi Services Limited (NSL) – in his statement of assets and liabilities submitted to the ECP in his nomination papers in the 2013 general elections.

NSL owned a flat at Draycott Avenue in London which he had purchased in 1984 and the flat remained undeclared until the Pakistan government announced an amnesty scheme in 2000.