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Imran travelling, doing politics with money stolen from public, says Rashid
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ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage Senator Pervaiz Rashid on Sunday said Imran Khan cannot end theft from Pakistan as he is travelling on an aircraft and doing politics with money stolen from a public limited company, JDW Sugar Mills.
Addressing a press conference, he said Imran Khan for the last two to three years is using an aeroplane which is owned by a public limited company, JDW, in which Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Secretary General Jehangir Tareen holds minority shares of 29.76 percent; 70.24 percent shares are held by financial institutions and ordinary shareholders. So Jehangir Tareen does not own the aeroplane, he explained.
Imran Khan is using this aircraft for political purposes and for creating chaos and disunity in the country, he said, adding that this is an illegal act as according to the company laws a public limited company cannot contribute funds for politics. The information minister said Imran is making speeches about lawlessness and misuse of public money every day but he himself is misusing funds of a public limited company, which is against the spirit of its charter. He said that the chartered accountant of the company in its financial report mentioned that in 2012 the expenses incurred on maintenance, oil and landing charges of the aeroplane are not shown in the accounts of JDW, registered at Karachi Stock Exchange.
Pervaiz Rashid said this huge expenditure on the plane was concealed; however in the next year an expenditure of Rs 40 million was shown as “other expenses” so that the shareholders cannot raise questions about this irregularity. He said JDW can be fined and its director Jehangir Tareen can be sentenced to two years for this crime. The minister said the aeroplane can be used by Imran only with personal money or party funds and cannot be used with public money. He said in the public meeting of Gujranwala, Imran should answer why he is using public money to run party campaign. Imran is living a lavish lifestyle with huge motorcades of expensive vehicles, he noted. “How a person who only paid income tax of Rs 100,000 can live such a lavish lifestyle and fly on aircraft,” he said.
The minister said PTI never showed the expenses of the aeroplane before the Election Commission. Imran should be answerable to people of Pakistan for telling lies, he stressed. Pervaiz Rashid said it is the responsibility of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) to take action against such irregularities. He hoped that shareholders in the JDW Sugar Mills will raise their voice about the illegal act. Pervaiz Rashid said in the next few days he will reveal more cases of theft by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan.
To a question, the minister said nobody will be arrested due to November 30 public meeting of PTI and the government will exercise restraint and tolerance, adding that political parties have learned from past experiences. He said Imran Khan should end outdated politics of imposing his decision on others and accept mandate of the people and avoid attacking the federal capital. The minister said Imran Khan and Tahirul Qadri are declared proclaimed offenders by the court and the police will have to answer to the judge about his orders. Pervaiz Rashid said now Imran Khan has been clarifying his earlier ill-judged statements and acts before ambassadors of United States and China, adding that Imran should not do such acts because of which he later has to take U-turns.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk