Salman Akram Raja, Secretary General of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), clarified that the former government did not participate in the ‘bilateral’ settlement deal between the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) and a private party.
He made this statement shortly after the sentencing of PTI founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi to 14 and seven years, respectively, in a case involving £190 million. During a press conference, Raja referenced a British court verdict that described the agreement as a bilateral arrangement excluding the Pakistani government.
Accountability Court Judge Nasir Javed Rana imposed the sentences during proceedings at Adiala Jail. He specified that Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi would face additional jail time if they failed to pay fines of Rs1 million and Rs0.5 million, respectively.
Raja emphasized that the agreement explicitly stated the funds would transfer to a Pakistani government account. He detailed how, during a press conference on November 6, 2019, the NCA announced the disbursement of the funds. Despite the NCA’s request for confidentiality, the public learned that the funds had gone into a government account, sparking controversy over why officials transferred them to the Supreme Court instead of the national treasury.
Read: Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi Convicted in £190 Million Corruption Case
Raja defended the transactions, asserting that authorities had deposited the funds, totalling £171 million, into the State Bank of Pakistan on November 23, 2019. They distributed these funds between the federal and Sindh governments’ accounts on January 9. He refuted any financial loss claims to the national exchequer from these transactions.
He also announced that PTI plans to challenge the verdict in the high court soon, committing to a “legal and moral fight.” The case, known as the Al-Qadir Trust case, involved allegations that Imran Khan and others adjusted Rs50 billion—equivalent to £190 million at the time—received from Britain’s NCA during his tenure as prime minister.
The funds from assets seized by the NCA from a Pakistani tycoon were meant for the Pakistani government. The NCA described the settlement as a civil matter, not indicating guilt.
Addressing ongoing negotiations with the federal government, Raja noted that PTI is actively engaging at all levels to address the country’s critical issues. This statement came amid criticisms from Senator Irfan Siddiqui, a federal government spokesperson, who disapproved of PTI’s simultaneous negotiations through multiple channels, including meetings with military leadership.
