Imran Khan must prove he is sadiq, ameen: PML-N's Zubair

• Zubair dares PTI chairman to file a defamation case against Financial Times in London courts.
• "Why is PTI chairman shying away from being held accountable?" he asks.
• Says the international publication "has provided all proof" against Imran Khan.
  

ISLAMABAD: PML-N leader Mohammad Zubair on Saturday asked PTI Chairman Imran Khan to "prove" he is sadiq (honest) and ameen (trustworthy), two characteristics which are prerequisites for any public office holder.

Addressing a press conference in the federal capital, Zubair said that the coalition parties will continue to question the PTI regarding the prohibited funding case against it.

Zubair said that the PTI is "making excuses" to stop the verdict in the case, which was reserved by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in June.

The PML-N leader, referring to the PTI founder who had alleged major irregularities in the party's finances, including in funding from outside Pakistan, said Akbar S Babar "has presented all evidence on how charitable money was transferred into PTI’s accounts".

“Imran Khan should now give proof of him being sadiq and ameen,” he said, challenging him to file a defamation case against the international publication in the courts of London.

Regarding cases registered against PML-N leaders, he said that "fake cases" were filed against party supremo Nawaz Sharif, however, he showed all of his asset details.

“We [PML-N leaders] have appeared in the courts several times, however, Imran Khan never appeared before the courts,” he said, asking why the PTI chairman is shying away from being held accountable.

How a cricket match in UK was used to help Imran Khan's party

Zubair was talking about an expose by the Financial Times that blew the lid off Pakistani tycoon Arif Naqvi's involvement in the party's finances and how a significant portion of its funding in 2013 was of foreign origin.

According to the report, "Naqvi transferred three instalments directly to the PTI in 2013 adding up to a total of $2.12m".

At the centre of the saga is Wootton Cricket Ltd, a Cayman Islands-incorporated company owned by Naqvi, and the money from charity fundraisers, such as the “Wootton T20 Cup”, to bankroll PTI.

Naqvi, the founder of the Dubai-based Abraaj Group, one of the largest private equity firms operating in emerging markets back when the PTI was campaigning for the 2013 elections, hosted the cricket tournament at his country estate in the Oxfordshire village of Wootton from 2010 to 2012, FT said.

The guests were asked to pay between £2,000 and £2,500 each to attend, according to the UK publication. Quoting, Naqvi, it added that that the money went to unspecified “philanthropic causes”.

"Funds poured into Wootton Cricket from companies and individuals, including at least £2m from a United Arab Emirates government minister who is also a member of the Abu Dhabi royal family," read the FT report.

Political parties in Pakistan are not permitted to receive funding from foreign nationals and companies, but Wootton Cricket account details and emails seen by FT for the period between February 28 and May 30, 2013, reveal that both companies and foreign nationals, as well as Pakistanis, sent millions of dollars to Wootton Cricket after which funds were transferred to the PTI in Pakistan.

The ECP had been probing the party's funding since 2014, when party founder Akbar S Babar alleged major irregularities in the party's finances, including in funding from outside Pakistan.

ECP has now concluded the case after seven years of trial. The date the verdict is yet to be revealed.