£190 million corruption a well-thought-out plan, not coincidence: Tarar

Federal Information Minister Ataullah Tarar said the £190 million mega-corruption case was not a fluke but a well-thought-out plan. Speaking at a press conference with Senator Talal Chaudhry, Minister Tarar said a decision on the £190m case was due today but the defendant had not appeared in court. He added that they had developed a habit of not attending court proceedings. Ataullah Tarar pointed out that the accused used delaying tactics in the foreign funding case for six years. Similarly, there have been delays in Toshakhan’s case, including changes in lawyers and powers of attorney. He emphasized that innocent people often do not change their agents or powers of attorney. He said delaying tactics in legal cases had become a common strategy for them as they used every possible means to prolong court proceedings. Tarar questioned the need for the government to approve the £190 million “sealed envelope” scam without presenting the facts to the public. The information minister said the £190 million case was the biggest corruption scandal in Pakistan’s history, with no other example of such a massive financial fraud. He linked the case to diamond rings, land for the Al-Qadir Trust and other illegal activities. He stated that it was not an accident but a planned plan. Tarar further noted that confirmations through sealed envelopes are usually made by those who fear detection. He claimed that there was no precedent in history for giving up billions of rupees fraudulently. He alleged that black money was laundered through a fraudulent trust and the proceeds of this corruption were used to rebuild the person’s house in Lahore. According to him, the person responsible received billions in debt forgiveness and in return took billions from the state. He concluded that those involved in grand corruption fled from justice because they knew their hands were dirty. In the same press conference, Senator Talal Chaudhry accused PTI of giving an Islamic touch to corruption. He alleged that the PTI founder and his wife had embezzled funds from Toshakhana. Instead of facing their cases, he said PTI leaders were creating an impression of closed deals. He also praised Nawaz Sharif and his family for bravely facing political vendetta. He mentioned that Nawaz Sharif had returned from UK to face the judgment while one person in the PTI leadership was not willing to take even a few steps to attend the court proceedings and face the charges against him. Earlier today, a Rawalpindi court adjourned for the third time on Monday the announcement of its judgment in the £190 million case against former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi. Justice Nasir Javed Rana said the verdict was postponed due to the absence of the defendants and their lawyers. Meanwhile, Azma Bokhari criticized the PTI leaders for shirking their responsibility and alleged that they did not appear in court despite a pending judge. Responding to the comments, PTI leader Barrister Saif Bukhari said the judge waited for two hours but the accused never appeared in court. She stressed that corruption is not just about sending money abroad illegally; money laundering that enters the country is considered “halal” corruption.