Jang Group sued in UK for maligning Shaukat Khanum Cancer Hospital
Sahibzada Jahangir announced that Jang Group was sued in Britain for maligning SKMCH charity
The spokesperson of Prime Minister Imran Khan on Trade and Investment in the United Kingdom (UK) and Europe, Sahibzada Jahangir has announced that the Jang Group was sued in Britain for maligning Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital (SKMCH) via a news article stating the alleged misuse of the hospital’s charity for political purpose.
Sahibzada Jahangir said in a Twitter message, “Jang Group should be ashamed of their article on Shaukat Khanum Hospital & now sued by Imran Khan Cancer Appeal UK. An institution globally recognised for its high standards & transparency. No difference in treatment between rich & poor. Such senseless articles can cost lives.”
Jang Group should be ashamed of their article on Shaukat Khanum Hospital & now sued by Imran khan Cancer Appeal UK. An institution globally recognised for its high standards & transparency. No difference in treatment between rich & poor. Such senseless articles can cost lives. pic.twitter.com/c04qC31yXF
— Sahibzada Jahangir (@ChicoJahangir) February 22, 2022
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader also shared a copy of the legal notice served to Jang Group.
It read, “Your article of 27th January 2022, titled “Foreign Funding Case: Hospital Donors unaware their donations siphoned off to PTI,” authored by Fakhar Durrani (“The Article”)”
The legal notice served to Jang Group stated that through the article, the media group had alleged that ‘several donors who made charitable donations to SKMT and SKMCH&RC have raised concerns as to the use to which those donations have been put, the concern being that the donations have been diverted to fund the political activities of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)”.
Through the legal notice, retraction of the article and an apology were sought from the Jang Group besides confessing to its defamatory nature. It stated the media group should now publish a retraction and an apology in the same manner and style as your publication of the article.
The News report
A report published by The News had claimed that several contributors turned out to be suspicious who were named in the contributors’ list presented to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) by the PTI.
Will PTI break silence over alleged use of SKMCH charity for political purpose?
A list of individual donors had been presented to the ECP scrutiny committee by the ruling PTI to clarify its source of funding worth $0.46 million.
According to the report, at least 35 per cent of those who contributed told The News that they did not donate to the PTI and their donations were meant for the Shaukat Khanum Hospital, whereas, only 27 per cent said that their donations were for PTI’s party funds.
It may be noted that the election commission is hearing PTI foreign funding case following a petition filed by Akbar S Babar in which PTI submitted details of the party’s bank accounts and foreign companies besides providing a list of 1,414 names to the ECP’s scrutiny committee who donated $467,320 to the party in 2013.
After tracing the donors in the list, the English daily contacted 40 individuals who donated $1,000 or above and 40 individuals who contributed $500 or above.
Of these 80 donors, 29 responded to queries by The News. Only eight individuals (27.5 per cent) claimed that they donated to the PTI for political purposes because they believed in Imran Khan; 10 of those 29 respondents (34.5%) said they donated for Shaukat Khanum Hospital because they supported this noble cause; seven individuals (24 per cent) said they don’t remember and the remaining four (13.7 per cent) refused to answer until this scribe proved his identity with a CNIC card and the purpose of this research.
Some of those who claimed they contributed to the Shaukat Khanum Hospital were astonished to learn that their charity money had been diverted for political purposes.
However, Federal Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry had rejected the claims and said that it is impossible that SKMCH donations were diverted for political purposes.
“When an LDC is signed by the donor, the purpose for donation is mentioned on the cheque. Those who have donated $1,000 or above must have paid the donations through cheques. It can be verified from these cheques,” he said. The information minister added that if this scribe provides the names of those donors, then they can verify from the record whether they contributed to the hospital or to party funds.
PTI’s former chief organiser Saifullah Khan Niyazee had denied to comment.
SKMCH response
The SKMCH spokesperson has categorically rejected ‘baseless allegations regarding diversion of donations to other causes.’
In a statement, the SKMCH said, The records of all donations are maintained and all our financial records in Pakistan and overseas are duly audited by independent third parties to ensure compliance with all applicable local regulations.”
It added, “All donations received are recorded and all donors are issued a traceable formal receipt.”
“We treat over 75 per cent of our cancer patients completely free of charge, through the generosity of our donors. All contributions are used solely in fulfilling our mission of providing cancer treatment.”
“Any attempt to besmirch this institution, or to sow doubt in the minds of donors is tantamount to playing with patients’ lives,” it concluded.
Despite the hospital issuing a clarification statement, the PTI had kept a complete silence so far regarding the use of SKMCH charity for political purposes and its statement is due to come.
