Qureshi didn’t know about offshore companies of IK, JKT, Aleem

ISLAMABAD: Senior leader of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Shah Mehmood Qureshi has admitted that he didn’t know about offshore companies owned by his colleagues Jahangir Khan Tareen, Aleem Khan and the party chief, Imran Khan.

Speaking in Geo News program ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Saath’ on Friday night, Qureshi also said the joint opposition was ready to sit with the government and prepare agreed terms of reference (ToRs) for the constitution of a judicial commission to probe allegations in connection with Panama Papers revelations.

“Imran Khan is also ready to appear before this commission to explain his position,” he said, adding that the final decision in this regard would be taken by the proposed commission.

The statement comes the same day when Imran Khan admitted that he too owned an offshore company which he created in 1983.

Answering questions posed by Geo News earlier in the day, the PTI chairman confirmed that he made his offshore company in the days he was playing county cricket. He added that he had established the company to avoid paying taxes as he wasn’t a resident of the United Kingdom.

The cricketer-turned-politician has been the strongest critic of the incumbent government in Pakistan and had stated in April that the “Only reason ppl open offshore accts through Panama is to either hide wealth, esp ill-gotten wealth, or to evade tax or both.”

Meanwhile, senior leader of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Senator Aitzaz Ahsan said in the same show that names of 630 Pakistanis have been mentioned on the Panama Papers and they should be referred to the commission by making them the part of the ToRs.

“We can also add two more names of Imran Khan and Aleem Khan [in the ToRs],” he said. However, they will be considered innocent until allegations against them are proved, he added.