ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Rawalpindi, has summoned former prime minister Imran Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi and her close friend Farhat Shehzadi on Nov 13 in Al-Qadir Trust corruption case.

A source in NAB told Dawn that Bushra Bibi was to appear before the anti-graft watchdog on Wednesday, but she did not turn up and her counsel sent a written request seeking a new date in the next week for the appearance.

In Al-Qadir Trust case, Imran Khan and his wife are accused of obtaining billions of rupees and hundreds of kanals of land from Bahria Town Ltd for legalising Rs50 billion that was identified and returned to Pakistan by the United Kingdom during the previous PTI government.

On May 9, NAB arrested the PTI chief in the case that sparked countrywide violent protests by his supporters who burnt and ransacked public and private properties and sensitive military installations.

The case relates to alleged illegal acquisition of land and construction for Al-Qadir University involving unlawful benefit given in recovery of prime proceeds (140 million British pounds) through the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) in a money laundering case against real estate tycoon Malik Riaz and his family.

Imran Khan is also accused of misleading the federal cabinet by concealing the facts/documents related to the settlement agreement. Money was received under the settlement agreement (140m pounds) and was supposed to be deposited in the national exchequer. But the money was adjusted in recovery of Rs450bn liabilities of Bahria Town.

The notice served to Bushra Bibi stated that the bureau has taken cognizance of commission of offences of corruption and corrupt practices as defined under NAB laws. It said the NCA had on Dec 14, 2018 frozen approximately 20m pounds from the bank accounts of two Pakistani nationals — Ahmad Ali Riaz and his wife Mubashra — under the UK’s Proceeds of Crime Act, 2002.

Subsequently, on Aug 12, 2019, the NCA further froze 119.7m pounds lying in the bank accounts of Malik Riaz family and also one Hyde Park Place property, the notice added. It said in a note dated 02.12.2019, the former prime minister (Imran Khan) specifically mentioned that the funds were to be repatriated to the national exchequer, but they were not transferred to the kitty.

The record revealed that instead of repatriation of funds to the state, the funds were ‘dishonestly’ and ‘maliciously’ adjusted against liability of Bahria Town Karachi (BTK) by transferring the same to the designated account which was maintained by Supreme Court registrar for depositing the liability of Bahria Town, the notice said.

“In return to this favour illegally and dishonestly, Bahria Town Ltd gave material and monetary benefits in shape of land measuring 458 kanals, Rs285 million, building and other kinds disguised under the garb of donations to Al-Qadir University Trust in which you are one of the trustees and signed acknowledgment of donations with Bahria Town,” said a previous NAB notice to Bushra Bibi.

Published in Dawn, November 9th, 2023