Lahore: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan did not appear before the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) today.
The anti-graft watchdog summoned the former prime minister at 10am today in connection with an investigation into the £190m settlement with the UK.
Sources told JEE News that Imran Khan’s legal team has advised him not to appear before the NAB in person and submit written answers to 20 questions related to the corruption case involving a property tycoon. .
NAB Rawalpindi Chapter had summoned Imran Khan and other PTI leaders on May 18 regarding the Al-Qadir Trust case.
In its notice, the anti-corruption agency sought details of the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) 2019 investigation into the £190 million assets of the ousted prime minister, who is currently on bail in the case.
NAB had directed Khan to bring details of the NCA investigation and all documents related to Al-Qadir University, including land papers, trust deeds and bank statements.
The anti-corruption watchdog also warned the PTI chief of legal action in case of non-compliance with the summons.
Case background
The British government, in 2019, revealed £140 million in the accounts of the son of a prominent Pakistani real estate tycoon and his wife from 2018 to 2019.
The NCA quickly froze the funds, suspecting the criminal origin of the money.
Surprisingly, neither the individual nor his wife challenged the account freeze. After due legal process, the UK returned the laundered funds to the Government of Pakistan in 2019.
The decision was announced in a joint press release by the Assets Recovery Unit (ARU) and the NCA.
The case later reached the Federal Cabinet of Pakistan on 3 December 2019, where it was presented in a sealed envelope by the then Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) Mirza Shahzad Akbar.
The purpose of the presentation was to discuss the return of funds, which will be transferred to an account supervised by the Registrar of the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
This particular account was linked to the recovery of Rs 460 billion from the same property tycoon in connection with fines imposed on a housing scheme in Karachi.
“Khan approved the settlement without allowing his cabinet members to read it,” a source familiar with the investigation told JEE News.
Investigations revealed that as part of the agreement to return the laundered money, the property tycoon offered a substantial compensation package. It included the transfer of 458 kanals, 4 marlas and 58 square feet of land in Jhelum, along with a cash sum of Rs 285 million, which was destined for the Al-Qadir Trust.
The trustees of Al-Qadir Trust included then Prime Minister Khan, his wife Bushra Bibi and his senior advisors Zulfiqar Bukhari and Babar Awan. However, it is worth noting that the posts of Awan and Bukhari were later revoked on 22 April 2020.
