Home Latest News NAB Summons Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi in Al-Qadir Trust Case on June 7

NAB Summons Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi in Al-Qadir Trust Case on June 7

PTI chief directed to answer questionnaire provided in last appearance, his wife summoned to record statement as Al-Qadir University trustee

by Staff Report

File photo

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has issued summons to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, for June 7 as part of its ongoing probe into the £190 million transferred to the state of Pakistan by Britain’s National Crime Agency (NCA).

In its summons, NAB Rawalpindi said the former first lady’s presence was required to record her statement as a witness due to her role as trustee of the Al-Qadir University Trust. It said the former prime minister’s presence was needed to respond to a questionnaire he was given during his last appearance on May 23. It has also asked for the records of all donations received by Al-Qadir University Trust since its inception, including names of individuals who donated to it.

In recent weeks, the anti-graft watchdog has expedited its probe into the Al-Qadir Trust corruption case, issuing letters to all provincial excise departments seeking records of vehicles, properties, and bank accounts held by former cabinet members. Among the former ministers being probed are Ghulam Sarwar Khan, Murad Saeed, Pervez Khattak, Zubaida Jalal, Hammad Azhar, Shafqat Mehmood, Shireen Mazari, Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Ejaz Ahmed Shah, Ali Amin Gandapur, Farogh Naseem, Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar, Asad Umar, Omer Ayub, Chaudhary Fawad Hussain, Mehboob Sultan, Faisal Vawda, Ali Zaidi, Azam Swati, Sheikh Rashid, and Babar Awan.

NAB Rawalpindi’s combined investigation team has already recorded statements of all former ministers, with some appearing before the watchdog in person while others submitted written replies.

Last month, the PTI chief secured pre-arrest bail in the corruption case until June 19. The case saw Khan arrested on May 9, triggering nationwide riots, including attacks on various civil and military installations, including the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi and the Lahore Corps Commanders’ house. The Supreme Court subsequently declared the detention “illegal” and allowed Khan to go free, though the rioting has since seen a massive crackdown against the PTI, with over 100 lawmakers parting ways with it over the past two weeks.

According to the case history, Khan and his cabinet are accused of using funds recovered by the U.K. from real estate tycoon Malik Riaz to pay part of a fine that had been imposed on him by the apex court in a separate case. The ministers who validated the settlement claim they were presented a “sealed envelope” with the agreement by then-special assistant to the prime minister Mirza Shahzad Akbar, who informed them that they could not be informed of its contents but had to agree to it or risk the funds being returned to the U.K.

Subsequent investigations have alleged the funds were returned to Riaz in exchange for him providing over 458 Kanals of land, as well as Rs. 285 million in cash, to the Al-Qadir Trust operated by Khan and his wife.

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