Imran Khan, former prime minister and leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, has denied corruption and money laundering charges made by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in two separate cases, Toshakhana and prohibited funding cases
The denial came during a hearing on Saturday of a Rs10 billion ($64 million) defamation lawsuit against Defense Minister Khawaja Asif
Imran appeared at the Islamabad district and sessions court via video link from his Zaman Park residence in Lahore and was cross-examined about investment in a private housing project using funds from the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Hospital Trust (SKMT)
He stated that he was unaware of the investments made by the SKMT in offshore companies, and that the hospital's board made the decision without consulting him
Referring to a Financial Times report on foreign funding, Imran said the allegations were against Arif Naqvi and not him
He added that the Shaukat Khanum Hospital receives Rs9 billion ($57 million) in donations annually and it is not possible to know who gave what
Also read: Imran admits to diverting SKMT funds Imran also said that there is no mechanism to verify whether donations received by the PTI and the hospital are from legitimate sources, and that he did not have information about investments made in offshore companies
During the hearing, the PTI chief stated that it was necessary to challenge Asif's allegations, which targeted the charity organisation, and requested the court to reach a decision as soon as possible
The hearing was adjourned until March 4
In 2012, Imran filed a defamation lawsuit against Asif for making allegations of non-transparency, money laundering, and suspicious investments in the SKMT funds
| Date: | 12-Feb-2023 | Reference: | View Original Link |
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