NAB Files Corruption Reference Against Imran Khan in £190 Million Settlement Case

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) filed a corruption reference against former Prime Minister Imran Khan, his wife, and several others concerning the £190 million settlement case.

The reference, submitted by NAB’s Deputy Prosecutor General Muzafar Abbasi and investigative officer Umar Nadeem, is currently under examination by the accountability court’s registrar office in Islamabad. The list of accused includes PTI leaders Zulfi Bukhari, Shahzad Akbar, and lawyer Barrister Zia-ul-Mustafa Nazeer, among others, totalling eight individuals.

Following the federal cabinet’s approval to conduct a jail trial of Imran Khan in corruption cases, the Ministry of Law and Justice moved a cabinet summary that was approved via circulation. Considering the law and order situation, the anti-graft watchdog had requested a trial in Adiala jail. A notification for the trial in the £190 million National Crime Agency (NCA), UK, and Toshakhana case was issued, stating that the accountability court will conduct the trial in Central Prison, Adiala.

Understanding the £190 Million Settlement Case

The charges against Khan and others involve a corruption case with a property tycoon, allegedly causing a £190 million loss to the national exchequer. They are accused of misusing Rs50 billion, equivalent to £190 million at the time, received from Britain’s NCA. The funds were part of an agreement with the property tycoon, leading to undue benefits, including over 458 kanals of land for Al Qadir University.

The NCA had seized assets worth 190 million pounds from the tycoon, which were to be passed to the Pakistani government. The settlement, approved by Khan’s cabinet, led to the establishing of the Al-Qadir Trust in Islamabad, with prominent PTI figures as members. NAB’s investigation focuses on alleged misuse of power and illegal financial gains from this settlement.