ISLAMABAD , May 18, 2023: PTI chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan may skip the National Accountability Bureau’s hearing in the Al Qadir Trust case today, sources told Dunya News.
It is likely that Khan may submit a written response to the questionnaire given by the accountability watchdog.
Sources said Imran’s legal team had advised him not to appear in NAB in a personal capacity and, instead, to submit a written response to the 20 questions asked in relation to the corruption case, which also involves a property tycoon.
Earlier, the NAB served summons on PTI chairman Imran Khan and his wife Bushra to join the investigation in the Al-Qadir Trust case at 10am.
A two-member NAB team served the summons at the Zaman Park residence.
Earlier, the Islamabad High Court had provided ‘blanket relief’ to the PTI chief following his arrest by NAB in the case. The Supreme Court had declared his custody by the anti-corruption body ‘illegal”.
A NAB notice to Iman Khan sought details of the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency (NCA) 2019 probe into assets worth £190 million from the ousted premier.
Moreover, the anti-graft body directed Mr Khan to bring along details regarding the NCA investigation and all documents related to the Al-Qadir University including land papers, trust deeds and bank statements.
The NAB also said the PTI chief could face legal action in case of non-compliance with the summons. The case had made its way to federal cabinet on Dec 3, 2019, where it was presented by then special assistant to the prime minister (SAPM), Mirza Shahzad Akbar, in a sealed envelope. The purpose of the presentation was to discuss the return of the funds which would be channelled into an account overseen by the registrar of the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
Read more: Imran Khan’s arrest in Al-Qadir Trust case stokes sense of foreboding
This particular account was associated with the recovery of a staggering Rs460 billion from the same property tycoon in connection with fines imposed on a housing scheme in Karachi.
Investigations have revealed that as part of an agreement to return the laundered money, the property tycoon offered a substantial compensation package. This included the transfer of 458 kanal, 4 Marla and 58 square feet of land in Jhelum, alongside cash amounting to Rs285 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 advisers Zulfiqar Bukhari and Babar Awan. However, it is worth noting that Awan and Bukhari’s positions were subsequently revoked on April 22, 2020.