Islamabad: PTI Chairman Imran Khan on Saturday confirmed that funds donated to the Shaukat Hanam Memorial Trust (SKMT) were invested in private housing projects, but said the amount was later returned to the trust. clarified.
The revelations came during a hearing in a defamation lawsuit filed by Khan against PML-N leader Khawaja Asif, now Minister of Defense, for Rs 100 crore.
Additional District and Session Judge Umeed Ali Baloch conducted the proceedings in the presence of attorneys for both parties. Mr. Khan joined via a video link from his residence in Zaman Park, Lahore.
During cross-examination, Mr Khan revealed that SKMT’s board had informed him of the investment in the private housing association.
Former prime minister reveals issue resolved after Shaukat Khanum board returns $3 million
Asif’s attorney, trial attorney Haider Rasul, questioned Khan regarding the investment in the construction project, and the PTI chairman admitted the fact but said he did not remember the name of the housing project.
Khan also doesn’t remember if the board notified him in writing, saying board members returned the $3 million and the matter was resolved.
Barrister Rasool argued that the issue was not resolved as the dollar rate was 60 rupees at the time of investment and doubled to 120 rupees when the investment matured.
After his lawyers asked the court to postpone the proceedings and insisted that the next hearing would have the cross-examination done within hours, Mr Khan said that if the lawyers did not try to twist the cross-examination, it would not be so much. I joked that it wouldn’t take long.
The former prime minister said the matter could be resolved early if the case was handled in good faith.The court then postponed the hearing.
In 2012, Khan filed a defamation lawsuit against Asif for INR 100 crore for leveling claims of misuse and money laundering through SKMT funds.
In his complaint, Mr Khan referred to Mr Asif’s press conference on August 1, 2012, in which the PML-N leader accused the PTI chief of losing huge sums of money donated to SKMT in a “real estate gambling”. claimed. Funds were given to the trust in the form of zakat, fitrana and other types of donations, he said.
Khan, who recorded a January 2022 court filing, said he was SKMT’s largest individual contributor from 1991 to 2009 and said the trust had fully recovered the investment in question without loss.
Khan said the “fabricated and baseless claims” were made to undermine people’s trust in the trust.
Posted in Dawn on January 22, 2023
