Sarina Isa, the wife of Justice Qazi Faez Isa, has filed a petition to get Prime Minister Imran Khan removed from the office over the alleged non-disclosure of assets and tax cheat. Mrs Isa, who has filed a review petition against the June 19 majority judgment, requiring verification by tax authorities of three properties in her and children’s name, on Tuesday submitted additional grounds in the apex court.
Justice Qazi Faez Isa’s wife, Sarina Isa, appeared before the Supreme Court seeking a court order for removal of Pakistan PM Imran Khan from his post for not disclosing the assets of his 3 children, when they were minors, in his income tax returns
— The Siasat Daily (@TheSiasatDaily) December 2, 2020
She submitted a long list of charges — (i) he is a tax cheat, (ii) did not disclose his three children’s assets when they were minors in his returns, (iii) illegally accessed and obtained the petitioner’s legally protected records maintained by the FBR, NADRA, FIA and SBP and more — to justify her plea for the disqualification of the prime minister.
It is important to note that Justice Faez Isa family is facing a case of tax evasion. The judge himself is accused of misconduct by the incumbent government.
A 10-judge full court on June 19 quashed the presidential reference that sought Justice Isa’s removal in view of his failure to mention his family members’ London properties in his wealth statement.
The top court declared in October that the presidential reference filed against Supreme Court judge Justice Qazi Faez Isa is “tainted with mala fide in law”, while making strong comments against the president, the federal minister for law and the former attorney general for Pakistan (AGP).
“Although the preparation and framing of the reference against the petitioner [Justice Isa] is not patently motivated with malice in fact, the scale and degree of the illegalities are such that the reference is deemed to be tainted with mala fide in law.
Read More: SC issues notice to Maulvi Iftikhar who said “Justice Isa should be shot publicly”
“For this reason, the reference is hereby quashed,” said the 173-page detailed judgment authored by future Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial and endorsed by six more judges.
Imran Khan is judged by a different yardstick by SC, alleges Mrs Isa
Justice Isa’s wife has raised questions over the money trail provided by the prime minister regarding purchase of land at Bani Gala, noting he “is judged by a different yardstick by the apex court”. She stated that the June 19 judgment “is contrary to the apex court’s judgment in Imran Khan’s disqualification case.
#BREAKING: Mrs #SarinaIsa says “Justices Khosa & Azmat Saeed thought worst of her. They doubted her ability to buy properties despite personally knowing her and her background.” She asks “Why @ImranKhanPTI not disclose properties owned by 3 wives and 3 kids.” Detail story shortly pic.twitter.com/lgiGOKanYB
— Asad Ali Toor (@AsadAToor) December 1, 2020
“Comparing Mr Imran Khan’s documents with the petitioner’s regarding their respective properties, there is a great difference, a chalk and cheese difference.
“The petitioner produced verifiable documents, including her own bank documents. Mr Imran Khan spun a tale: his divorced wife (Ms Jemima Goldsmith) sent him money to buy properties in Pakistan but did not send it into his bank account but through a convenient intermediary (Mr Rashid Khan),” she stated in her submission.
“Incidentally, Ms Jemima Goldsmith did not verify this. Mr. Imran Khan’s tall tale was accepted by this honourable court,” she stated.
The petitioner voluntarily presented herself before the court, she said and added supported her documents with real bank documents and real accounts without any friendly intermediaries.
“Mr Imran Khan offered no explanation of his considerable wealth, where he got the money to buy 300 kanals [of land] in Islamabad on which he constructed a mansion; where he got the money to buy the most expensive apartment in Islamabad or the money to buy his other properties unless he got it all from Ms Jemima Goldsmith and as such he is her dependent, but then he is a hypocrite to assume that the petitioner is her husband’s dependent,” says Mrs Isa in her review petition.
She also said that Imran Khan is judged by a different yardstick and it is assumed that he can buy the most expensive properties in Islamabad having paid a pittance in income tax.
Discrimination on gender basis?
Mrs Isa has alleged the court of discrimination again her because of her gender. “The petitioner’s discrimination on account of her gender is very hurtful. Chauvinism and misogyny may be individual traits but cannot be permitted to subvert the Constitution and Islam,” she maintained.
Sarina also wondered will a judge ever dare decide a case that may offend those sitting in the government now. “Will a judge’s family let him abide by the oath of his office to uphold the Constitution and law? Will a judge’s family beg not to upset those in the government? Will a judge and his family ever feel secure? Will a judge’s family not tell him to immediately resign rather than he and his family face malicious and vile propaganda?
“Must every judge and his family pay the price of judicial independence? Even if Mr Imran Khan’s government is unable to get rid of Justice Isa, a message has still been sent out to each and every judge in the country — dare be independent, dare decide against us and see what we do to you, your wife and children,” says the review petition.
Read More: FBR humiliated my wife, Justice Faez Isa tells SC
Sarina alleged that Imran Khan submitted a false affidavit to obtain a plot measuring one kanal for himself in Lahore from former Punjab chief minister Nawaz Sharif in 1987.
“Mr Imran Khan also received a free one kanal plot in Islamabad and money from former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in 1992 on winning the Cricket World Cup,” she added.