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ISLAMABAD: Information Minister Pervaiz Rasheed on Saturday said, while addressing a press conference, that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) lawmakers have the highest number of offshore companies when compared with other political parties of Pakistan.
"When you look at the record, it is quite clear that PTI lawmakers have the highest number of offshore companies when compared with lawmakers from other political parties."
Pervaiz Rasheed also called the PTI chief a "pioneer of off-shore companies", repeating a phrase used by the premier's daughter, Maryam Nawaz Sharif, earlier on Twitter.
The federal minister also took a sweep at Imran, and said "he has a weak memory", referring to the PTI chief's recent revelation regarding an offshore company used to buy his apartment in London.
“Imran Khan remembers the number of wickets he took and the number of runs he scored in 1980, but forgot about his off-shore company which was established in 1983.” Rasheed said.
Imran Khan, Jehangir Tareen, Aleem Khan, MPA Tarakai and Senator Tarakai have links with off-shore companies, added Rasheed.
He also added that Imran's sister also has an offshore company, while refusing to name her out of respect.
According to what he (Imran Khan) has stated earlier, all those possessing offshore companies are tax evaders, hence all the individuals named are tax evaders, stated the federal minister.
“Only one member of PPP is associated with an off-shore company," said Rasheed while giving a comparison of PTI with other political parties.
The federal minister also claimed that not a single parliamentarian or minister from PML-N has an offshore company.
Imran's London Apartment
Imran Khan admitted he formed an offshore company to buy the London flat in 1983 to evade British taxes.
He said he formed the offshore firm on the advice of his accountant to evade taxes during his playing days to buy a flat in London.
"I was already paying 35 per cent tax on my income there, so to evade further taxes, I bought the flat through an offshore firm, which was my right as I was not a British citizen," Imran told the reporters.
PTI spokesperson Naeemul Haq also admitted that his party chief had formed a 'legal' offshore company through his earnings from cricket, which owned his London flat.
Imran Khan had severely criticised Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his family for owning and benefiting from offshore companies after the ICIJ investigation which led to the release of Panama papers revealing offshore accounts of the rich and mighty across the world.
He, along with other opposition leaders, demanded the prime minister to resign until the issue is investigated and the premier gets a clean chit.
Earlier, he told a public rally that the Panama Papers exposed how 'corrupt' our PM was.
