Wajihuddin says Bani Gala expenditures made by Tareen were ‘off the books’

KARACHI: Hours after the government announced its decision to file a defamation suit against former member of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Supreme Court judge retired justice Wajihuddin Ahmed for targeting Prime Minister Imran Khan, the estranged leader said that the response from Jahangir Tareen was expected as such expenditures are always off the books.

While addressing a press conference with Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) Chief Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui in Karachi on Thursday, he said Imran Khan should directly file a defamation case against him if his rights have been infringed by allegations.

Speaking on Bol News programme ‘Tabdeeli’ recently, the retired judge had claimed that PTI leader Jahangir Tareen used to give up to a Rs5million per month to Imran Khan to manage expenses of his Bani Gala residence.

Justice Wajihuddin asked if it was Fawad Chaudhry or Imran Khan whose rights were infringed, asserting what he said was true.

He asked if the person directly impacted shouldn’t be the one to seek registration of a first information report (FIR) instead of somebody else.

Wajihuddin Ahmed commented what Jahangir Tareen would have done except to deny the claims. He stated that such expenditures were made off the books and therefore, it was very easy for Tareen to deny them.

Read more:ECP asks parliamentarians to submit their fresh financial statements

Ex-PTI official also questioned Jahangir Tareen for coming up with a clarification on the issue despite the current status of his relations with Imran Khan. “How do you have bad relations with Imran Khan?”, he asked and went on to say that Tareen was not the least affected by the report by the sugar inquiry commission.

He alleged that Tareen had already made billions of rupees from the sugar crisis. “You (Tareen) should talk about your airplanes and other things. I don’t want to drag it further,” the retired judge said.

Read more: Govt decides to file defamation case against Wajihuddin for tarnishing PM’s image

Addressing media in Islamabad earlier in the day, Information Minister Fawad Cahudhry had said that the practice of tarnishing others’ reputations should end.

“The honour of prime minister is not safe in the country”, Chaudhry said, adding that “for the chief executive of the country, baseless campaigns are run” without any proof.