Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairperson Imran Khan has admitted that his party did receive funds from business tycoon Arif Naqvi, who Imran called a 'bright star', contending that the funds were obtained through proper channels and had been disclosed.
During an interview with ARY news on Thursday, Imran Khan admitted that Arif Naqvi had sent the PTI funds, but argued that the funds had come through proper banking channels and had been disclosed in the party's audits.
Just a day earlier, the Financial Times had published a story alleging that Arif Naqvi had financed the PTI despite national laws disallowing political parties from being funded by foreign nationals and companies.
During the interview, Imran said that Arif Naqvi was a 'bright star' and a 'rapidly rising Pakistani star in the global financial world', whose rise among powerful quarters 'would have greatly benefitted Pakistan'.
He said that Naqvi, who he had known for a long time, had frequently donated Shaukat Khanum Hospital, and would support PTI's fundraising events when he lived in Dubai.
Imran said that the fundraising cricket match in England that was mentioned in the FT article was one of the two fundraising events Naqvi had organized for the PTI.
“This is called political fund raising. All over the world money is raised like this and PTI was the first party [in Pakistan] to raise money through political fundraising,” Imran said, terming the allegations against Naqvi 'tragic'.
He demanded that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) should probe the funding of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), as he claimed they were being funded by 'big businessmen' who they then favored.
“After coming into the government, they favour those businessmen. This is called crony capitalism.”
During an interview with ARY news on Thursday, Imran Khan admitted that Arif Naqvi had sent the PTI funds, but argued that the funds had come through proper banking channels and had been disclosed in the party's audits.
Just a day earlier, the Financial Times had published a story alleging that Arif Naqvi had financed the PTI despite national laws disallowing political parties from being funded by foreign nationals and companies.
During the interview, Imran said that Arif Naqvi was a 'bright star' and a 'rapidly rising Pakistani star in the global financial world', whose rise among powerful quarters 'would have greatly benefitted Pakistan'.
He said that Naqvi, who he had known for a long time, had frequently donated Shaukat Khanum Hospital, and would support PTI's fundraising events when he lived in Dubai.
Imran said that the fundraising cricket match in England that was mentioned in the FT article was one of the two fundraising events Naqvi had organized for the PTI.
“This is called political fund raising. All over the world money is raised like this and PTI was the first party [in Pakistan] to raise money through political fundraising,” Imran said, terming the allegations against Naqvi 'tragic'.
He demanded that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) should probe the funding of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), as he claimed they were being funded by 'big businessmen' who they then favored.
“After coming into the government, they favour those businessmen. This is called crony capitalism.”