SJC seeks Money Trail from LHC Justice over overseas assets named in Panama Papers
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ISLAMABAD - New developments have been reported in the case of Lahore High Court Justice, whose name appeared in the Panama Papers.
The Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) on Thursday sought the money trail of Lahore High Court (LHC) Justice Muhammad Farrukh Irfan Khan’s offshore assets.
The five-member SJC, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar, took up for hearing the reference against the high court judge after accepting his application seeking a public trial of the case pending adjudication against him.
Justice Irfan is facing a reference after his name surfaced in the 2016 Panama Papers for having offshore assets. He was issued a show-cause notice by the SJC in February 2017.
As the council resumed hearing a complaint of misconduct against the high court judge, the prosecution informed the council that the regional tax officer had issued a notice to Justice Irfan for allegedly not declaring an offshore company in his tax returns.
A representative of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), while appearing before the council, also presented the record of five companies held by the judge within Pakistan.
“It has been recognised that the judge set up the companies,” Justice Nisar remarked, adding that foreign properties had been purchased through offshore companies.
