Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Imran Khan on Monday asked the ruling family to dare take the BBC, German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung and relevant journalists to court if they feel these organisations and journalists are telling lies about their offshore companies and assets. 

He said this while speaking to journalists outside the Supreme Court after hearing in the Panama gate case.

"Don't attack me I'm not saying all this. If you're speaking truth, take this (German) journalist and ICIJ (International Consortium of Investigative Journalists) to the court," he said and added, "Take the BBC to the court too that has confirmed the same thing that these flats were bought in 1993."

Four ministers of the PML-N and a documentary of the BBC have also confirmed that Sharif family bought the Mayfair flats in 1993, he further said.

Imran Khan said that letter of the Qatari prince about ownership of the flats is a fraud as German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung has revealed that Maryam Safdar is the beneficial owner of the flats. "This means the Qatari's letter is zero, if the Qatari's letter is zero then it means the money trail is based on lies," he claimed.

The Prime Minister's claimed proofs have not made their way to the Supreme Court while the only proof was the Qatari's letter, he said, adding the German newspaper has smashed the Qatari's letter too.

He claimed that trust deed that the Sharif family presented in the court also proved to be fraud as that trust deed explains that Hussain Nawaz is the beneficial owner while Maryam Safdar is a trustee. "Instead of attacking us, take the BBC to court," he said, adding that they (PML-N) lied that BBC has started an inquiry about its story on Mayfair flats while the BBC said in a statement that it stands by its story. "The nation needs answers to all the questions. We have been seeing that lies have been told for the last nine months," he said, adding that the ruling family should tell the truth about their assets.

Meanwhile, talking to media persons at Press Information Department (PID), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Dr Musadiq Malik said that the court has demanded clear evidences in Panama gate case but the PTI's evidences merely consist of newspaper clippings. "British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) supports our position," claimed Musadiq Malik, adding that Nielsen Enterprises Ltd and Nescoll Ltd changed ownership in 2006.

He said that German newspaper carried nothing new in its report. A copy of Maryam's passport along with other papers carrying personal information was not verified, he claimed.

He said Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) could not present any proof in the court during last three weeks. "They have submitted those papers in the court which don't even carry signature of Maryam Nawaz. Whereby, the submitted papers are old which PTI had previously submitted in the court," he added.

Meanwhile, PML-N leader Daniyal Aziz alleged that PTI received funds from abroad and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has sought money trail from PTI leader Imran Khan in foreign funding case. He said Imran Khan should face the case without any hesitation and submit the record in a fair way. "Since the German newspaper lacked manpower, so it engaged International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) which has a staff comprising 7 permanent employees and it is a project of that institute," he said. He also said that Imran Khan has taken a stay on foreign funding case and is hiding the facts.

Daniyal Aziz questioned as to why Imran Khan is getting away from the Election Commission and hiding behind a court's stay order. The PML-N leader also said that Election Commission didn't give immunity to Imran and now Jehangir Tareen is seeking immunity from a court of Lahore. He alleged that Imran Khan has no moral credibility in the current scenario.

-Business Recorder