Information Minister Attaullah Tarar on Saturday said that an amount recovered by the UK’s National Crime Agency and subsequently handed over to the federal government would be used for the nation’s welfare.
The information minister, addressing a press conference in Lahore, said: “The fine [of Rs460bn] which was applied [by the Supreme Court] that was being paid through this amount [of £190m], obviously after this order this amount will not be able to be used to pay for that fine. So now it is a matter between that private party and the court how the court recovers that money.
“The state’s job was to recover the amount that was to be returned to it. So now it will return and it will be used for the welfare of the nation.”
Tarar said legal consultation was ongoing on how to bring the absconders back and what avenues would be used for that.
The minister claimed that Imran had no legal recourse for an appeal in the case, also demanding that any appeal be fixed after hearing after pending appeals were decided.
“They don’t have material, legal argument, documentation and evidence that is why they will try to play around with technicality. The appeal will be very weak … I don’t the case has enough merit that the appeal is upheld beyond two or three hearings,” he said. Atta Tarar said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s use of the religion card for politics was condemnable.
The minister termed the £190 million case an “open-and-shut matter,” calling the recent court decision one of the most significant in Pakistan’s history. He criticised the establishment of the Asset Recovery Unit during PTI’s tenure, which he alleged was at the centre of this controversy. “PTI is using religion to shield its wrongdoings. When they failed to provide legal defense in this case, they resorted to exploiting religious sentiments,” Tarar commented. He urged PTI leaders to “fear God” and refrain from dragging religion into political issues, calling the practice “deeply regrettable.”
The minister also questioned the legitimacy of religious teachings at Al-Qadir University, which he alleged was established through funds obtained improperly.
