Report Reveals PTI Used 'Foreign Funding' For 2013 Polls' Media Campaign.

ISLAMABAD -- A probe into the 'dubious' money transferred to Pakistan by the former owner of Abraaj Group, Arif Naqvi, has revealed that a large amount in foreign funds was used for the media campaign of the former ruling PakiAstan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) during the 2013 general elections.

Documents obtained by the FedAeral Investigation Agency (FIA) reAvealed that $625,000 were routed through Wootton Cricket Limited, a Cayman Islands registered offshore firm owned by Naqvi, who is currentAly facing trial in a US court for a $1 billion financial fraud, the web-based Pakistan Defence reported Saturday.

This is in addition to the $2.12 milAlion received in the PTI's accounts diArectly from Wootton, as documented in the election commission's August 2 verdict in the party's prohibited funding case. Documents show that the money was sent from Wootton Cricket's account to 'The Insaf Trust' account opened by PTI Chairman ImAran Khan's close friend, Tariq Shafi, in his capacity as the first chairman of the trust. Shafi also received $575,000 in one of his personal accounts and transAferred to a declared account of the PTI.

Interestingly, the declared objecAtives of the trust were to promote a sense of participative democracy and rule of law, democratic values and political awareness in the society, beAsides undertaking activities in variAous forms to promote health educaAtion and social order.

A clause of the trust deed included: 'The trust, its funds or property or association of the trustees with the trust shall not be used for personal gain of any particular person or a group of persons.'

Other signatories of the trust's bank account were the late Ashiq Hussain Qureshi and Hamid Zaman, both close friends of Imran Khan, and it was opened in May 2012 at the Habib Bank Ltd, Lahore Cantt branch.

On May 8, 2013, three days before the general elections, two media management firms - namely 'ComAmunication Spot' and 'Group M' - were paid Rs36m and Rs25 million, respectively, from the trust account for the PTI's election campaign, the documents revealed. The account was used for just one transaction and has been dormant ever since.

The funding for the media camApaign through the account of a chariAtable organisation is said to...

To continue reading

Request your trial

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT