Pakistan: Disqualification of PM’s close aide upheld

By Islamuddin Sajid

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan

Pakistan’s top court on Thursday rejected the review petition of Jehangir Tareen, a close aide of the country’s prime minister, and uphold his disqualification for lifetime, local media reported.

While dismissing the review petition, Chief Justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar remarked that Jehangir Tareen failed to produce his assets details, according to Geo News, a local broadcaster.

On Dec. 2017, Tareen, a former federal minister, was disqualified by Supreme Court under article 62 of the constitution -- a same clause under which the three-time prime minister Nawaz Sharif was disqualified -- in the Panama papers case in July last year.

Tareen was found guilty of concealing a London-based offshore company.

The case against Tareen and now Prime Minister Imran Khan was filed by Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) leader Hanif Abbasi in Nov. 2016, accusing the PTI leaders of money laundering, tax evasion, fake money trials and not declaring their assets to the country’s electoral body.

A year later, the country's top court rejected corruption and money laundering charges against Khan and disqualified Tareen, the then Secretary General of Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, for lifetime for being “dishonest” to the court.