ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Secretary of Information, Fawad Chaudhry, said on Friday that the Bani Gala estate case against Imran Khan was nothing but lies and would soon be dismissed by the Supreme Court.
Talking to Arab News, he said that PTI’s political opponents were trying to create an issue out of nothing and they would not get anything out of their antics but shame.
“It is not easy to be in the opposition in Pakistan,” he said. “Khan is struggling for a just cause and he will prevail.”
Chaudhry said that Khan’s opponents had “licked the dust” in an earlier case involving monetary transactions for the Bani Gala residence and would meet the same fate this time.
The Supreme Court had demanded a response from the PTI chairman on Thursday regarding a claim made by a former chairman of the Bhara Kahu union council (UC) which alleged that a no-objection certificate (NOC) was not issued for the construction of Khan’s 300-kanal Bani Gala estate.
The former chairman of the Bhara Kahu UC, Mohammed Yaqoob Malik, submitted a handwritten letter to the Supreme court claiming that the NOC submitted by Khan was “fake” because it was never issued by him; he further declared the certificate bearing his signature was “fake.”
Corroborating Yaqoob, Mohammed Umar, the former UC secretary in 2003, also claimed that he had not issued an NOC to the PTI leader. He further stated that although Khan was asked to submit a blueprint of the house for a green light from his office, the blueprint was in fact never submitted.
“The NOC is a computerized copy whereas the union council had no computer systems at the time and work was done manually,” claimed Umar.
In a video message, Amir Kyani, president of PTI’s North Punjab chapter, rebutted the allegations, dubbing them “a pack of lies.”
“No permission was needed for the mansion’s construction but even so, Imran directed me to acquire a written order,” claimed the PTI leader, stating that everything from buying the land to the construction of the residence was done in compliance with the law.
In May 2017, however, the Capital Development Authority (CDA), in a report submitted to the SC, had declared the construction of Imran’s residence in Bani Gala ‘illegal’ and against the regulations of the Islamabad Capital Territory.
On Feb. 13 this year, Chief Justice Saqib Nisar, during a hearing, warned that residential structures in Bani Gala would be demolished if they were not in compliance with the laws and regulations of CDA. “Building regulations must be abided by,” he stated.
Imran’s counsel, Babar Awan, however, maintains that CDA has no authority over private properties, adding that the constructions around Rawal Dam are illegal.
Talking to Arab News, he said that PTI’s political opponents were trying to create an issue out of nothing and they would not get anything out of their antics but shame.
“It is not easy to be in the opposition in Pakistan,” he said. “Khan is struggling for a just cause and he will prevail.”
Chaudhry said that Khan’s opponents had “licked the dust” in an earlier case involving monetary transactions for the Bani Gala residence and would meet the same fate this time.
The Supreme Court had demanded a response from the PTI chairman on Thursday regarding a claim made by a former chairman of the Bhara Kahu union council (UC) which alleged that a no-objection certificate (NOC) was not issued for the construction of Khan’s 300-kanal Bani Gala estate.
The former chairman of the Bhara Kahu UC, Mohammed Yaqoob Malik, submitted a handwritten letter to the Supreme court claiming that the NOC submitted by Khan was “fake” because it was never issued by him; he further declared the certificate bearing his signature was “fake.”
Corroborating Yaqoob, Mohammed Umar, the former UC secretary in 2003, also claimed that he had not issued an NOC to the PTI leader. He further stated that although Khan was asked to submit a blueprint of the house for a green light from his office, the blueprint was in fact never submitted.
“The NOC is a computerized copy whereas the union council had no computer systems at the time and work was done manually,” claimed Umar.
In a video message, Amir Kyani, president of PTI’s North Punjab chapter, rebutted the allegations, dubbing them “a pack of lies.”
“No permission was needed for the mansion’s construction but even so, Imran directed me to acquire a written order,” claimed the PTI leader, stating that everything from buying the land to the construction of the residence was done in compliance with the law.
In May 2017, however, the Capital Development Authority (CDA), in a report submitted to the SC, had declared the construction of Imran’s residence in Bani Gala ‘illegal’ and against the regulations of the Islamabad Capital Territory.
On Feb. 13 this year, Chief Justice Saqib Nisar, during a hearing, warned that residential structures in Bani Gala would be demolished if they were not in compliance with the laws and regulations of CDA. “Building regulations must be abided by,” he stated.
Imran’s counsel, Babar Awan, however, maintains that CDA has no authority over private properties, adding that the constructions around Rawal Dam are illegal.
