The National Accountability Bureau has issued summons to former Prime Minister Imran Khan and former accountability aide Shahzad Akbar in the Al-Qadir case, with a surprise change.
The case is referred to in the call-up notice as ‘aiding/abetting illegal transfer of £190 million for personal gains’. However, the Al-Qadir trust has been mentioned as one of the facts of the case.
Imran has been asked to appear in person at 10 am on May 18 at NAB Rawalpindi office in G-6 Islamabad. Shahzad Akbar has been summoned on May 22.
The PTI chief has also been asked to bring along documents including NCA freezing orders, complete correspondence of the Ptime Minister Office and the Asset Recovery Unit as well as all documents related to the creation and running of the Al-Qadir trust.
The notice also mentions that Imran Khan was issued a notice on March 2 by NAB but no response was not received. However, the notice does not mention Imran’s recent arrest.
It adds details of the case including the sale of the Hyde Park flat and frozen accouns of Ahmad Ali Riaz worth a total of £190 million pounds that were to be repatriated to Pakistan as part of an agreement with UK’s National Crimes Agency.
The notice accuses Imran of acting in connivance with Shahzad Akbar to present a confidentiality agreement infront of the cabinet. It also accuses of concealing the fact that the money from the settlement had been adjusted against Malik Raiz’s liability in the Supreme Court instead of being added to the treasury.
It also asks Imran to answer about the illegal ‘material and monetary’ benefits from Bahria Town for his connivance disguised as donations to Al-Qadir university.
Imran Khan was arrested from the Islamabad High Court on May 9 by Rangers personnel . It was later revealed that he had been arrested in the Al-Qadir trust case and was handed over to NAB custody.
However, his arrest was ruled illegal two days later by the Supreme Court and Imran was released. He had obtained bail from the Islamabad High Court the next day.
After his release, he had denied any wrong doing in thecase and said that the money had been repatriated until a confidential agreement because further litigation would have caused loss to the national exchequer. He also said that his wife, Bushra Bibi, was simply a trustee and not culpable for any crime.
