Probe Reveals ‘dubious’ funds for PTI media drive

Probe Reveals ‘dubious’ funds for PTI media drive

Sum of foreign money used for PTI

Investigation into the “dubious” monies moved to Pakistan by the former owner of the Abraaj Group, Arif Naqvi, has found that a sizable sum of foreign money was used for the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) party’s media campaign during the 2013 general elections. 

A Pakistani publication, Dawn saw the documents collected by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) that showed $625,000 had been sent through Wootton Cricket Limited, an offshore company established in the Cayman Islands and owned by Mr. Naqvi, who is currently on trial in the US for a $1 billion financial fraud. 

This is in addition to the $2.12 million Wootton personally donated to the PTI, which was shown in the electoral commission’s ruling on the party’s unlawful funding matter on August 2. 

Documents reveal that the funds were transferred from Wootton Cricket’s account to “The Insaf Trust,” which was created by Tariq Shafi, a close friend of PTI Chairman Imran Khan and the initial chairman of the trust. Additionally, Mr. Shafi received $575,000. He transferred it from one of his personal accounts to a PTI registered account. 

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Initiatives to support health education

It’s interesting to note that the trust’s stated goals included fostering in society a sense of participatory democracy and the rule of law, democratic principles, and political awareness, in addition to carrying out other initiatives to support health education and social order. 

“The trust, its finances or property, or association of the trustees with the trust shall not be utilised for personal gain of any individual person or a group of persons,” the trust deed’s clause stated. 

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

The records showed that two media management companies, “Communication Spot” and “Group M,” received payments of Rs36 million and Rs25 million, respectively, on May 8, 2013, three days before the general elections. The account has remained idle since it was used for just one transaction.

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