Tareen denies PM Imran ordered details of £190m settlement sealed

Published December 8, 2019
Disqualified PTI parliamentarian Jahangir Khan Tareen addressing a press conference in Lahore on Sunday. — DawnNewsTV
Disqualified PTI parliamentarian Jahangir Khan Tareen addressing a press conference in Lahore on Sunday. — DawnNewsTV

Former PTI parliamentarian Jahangir Khan Tareen on Sunday rejected reports that the prime minister had ordered the details of the £190 million settlement between Malik Riaz's family and the United Kingdom government to be "sealed".

"There is no truth in this. What I know is that when a civil deal is reached in Britain, they require its contents to not be disclosed. These are not the prime minister's instructions. It is a condition set by Britain," said Tareen during a wide-ranging talk with the media following the Polo Cup final in Lahore.

On Tuesday, the UK's National Crime Agency (NCA) had issued a statement saying it has agreed to a settlement worth £190 million with the family of property tycoon Malik Riaz.

A statement, released from the office of Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Accountability Shahzad Akbar had followed, saying that Britain had agreed to an "immediate repatriation" of the funds received after the settlement.

The PTI leader also rejected the impression that a political change would take place in Pakistan next year. "Imran Khan sahib is the prime minister and will serve his full term. There is no doubt about that."

"The opposition are in a fool's paradise and keep trying because Khan sahib as part of his accountability drive is hot on their heels. They only wish to save their money and will try other things as well.

"They will be dealt a defeat in all their conspiracies," said Tareen.

When asked if it was right for Maryam Nawaz to go visit her ailing father Nawaz Sharif, Tareen remarked that the PML-N supremo "surely has his sons and daughters-in-law with him there".

"For Maryam to go especially is beyond my understanding. But she has applied (for a one-time permission to travel) and maybe wants to run away.

"So, like our friend said, 'first Nawaz, then Shehbaz and now the time has come for Maryam to be minus' from the country."

Tareen was asked by a reporter to comment on whether the rift between the government and opposition will be broken regarding ascertaining an army chief's tenure through legislation and on remarks made by Fawad Chaudhry about the Supreme Court having "no right to order the parliament to legislate".

In response, the PTI leader said: "We consider the parliament supreme. The people are supreme and this is a representative parliament. When the detailed judgment comes we will see whether we want to review it or whether we want to go ahead and legislate."

Tareen was disqualified by the Supreme Court in December 2017 for mis-declaration under Article 62(1)(f) of the Constitution — the same provision under which former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was held ineligible for life to hold any public office over the Panama Papers leaks case.

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