LAHORE: The Punjab Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) investigation team appears to have given a ‘clean chit’ to Farhat Shahzadi known as Farah Khan, a close friend of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chief Imran Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi, in plots’ allotment case.

Hamza Shehbaz’s government in early July had booked Farah and her mother in a case of illegal allotment of two industrial plots, measuring 10 acre, to a company owned by her and also made some arrests in this regard.

“The ACE joint investigation team did not find involvement of Farah and others in causing financial loss to the exchequer,” an official source said, and added the investigation team had recommended sending its findings to the Special Economic Zone Authority for further investigation.

ACE spokesperson Abdul Wahid neither denied nor admitted closure of the investigation against Farah and others.

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Lahore in July summoned Farah and her husband Ahsan Jamil Gujjar in connection with an investigation into income beyond means and money laundering case.

The prime minister’s special assistant, Attaullah Tarar, had announced plans for seeking “red warrants” to bring Farah back to Pakistan from the UAE where she had gone days before the no-confidence motion succeeded against Imran Khan.

Interestingly, Mr Tarar had also asked Imran Khan to call Farah back to the country if he (Imran) had a firm belief that she was innocent. “I must say here that Imran is not bringing her back here because she and her husband will become approvers within an hour of their arrest,” he claimed.

Farah, however, has maintained that she is “innocent” and her “media trial” is being carried out to malign the former first lady.

Published in Dawn, September 10th, 2022

Opinion

Editorial

Smog hazard
Updated 05 Nov, 2024

Smog hazard

The catastrophe unfolding in Lahore is a product of authorities’ repeated failure to recognise environmental impact of rapid urbanisation.
Monetary policy
05 Nov, 2024

Monetary policy

IN an aggressive move, the State Bank on Monday reduced its key policy rate by a hefty 250bps to 15pc. This is the...
Cultural power
05 Nov, 2024

Cultural power

AS vital modes of communication, art and culture have the power to overcome social and international barriers....
Disregarding CCI
Updated 04 Nov, 2024

Disregarding CCI

The failure to regularly convene CCI meetings means that the process of democratic decision-making is falling apart.
Defeating TB
04 Nov, 2024

Defeating TB

CONSIDERING the fact that Pakistan has the fifth highest burden of tuberculosis in the world as per the World Health...
Ceasefire charade
Updated 04 Nov, 2024

Ceasefire charade

The US talks of peace, while simultaneously arming and funding their Israeli allies, are doomed to fail, and are little more than a charade.