RAWALPINDI , May 17, 2023: Directing the PTI chief Imran Khan to join the investigation in Al-Qadir Trust case, The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Rawalpindi has summoned the former prime minister on May 18 (tomorrow).
Earlier, the Islamabad High Court had provided ‘blanket relief’ to the PTI chief following his arrest by NAB in the case with the Supreme Court declaring 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 that the PTI chief could face legal action in case of non-compliance with the summon. The case had made its way to federal cabinet on December 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.
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.