A team of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Friday visited former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Imran’s residence and served summons to him in the Al-Qadir Trust Case.
The watchdog has asked Imran to appear before NAB on May 23.
This is the second notice to Imran since his arrest in the same case on May 9, which was declared unlawful by the apex court. Later, Imran was granted bail in the case till May 17 by the Islamabad High Court (IHC).
The bureau had earlier summoned the former premier in person on May 18. However, instead of complying with the notice, the PTI chief told the bureau that he is on bail till May 22, therefore, he cannot appear before it in person.
The NAB had summoned Imran in connection with an investigation related to a £190 million settlement from the UK commonly known as the Al-Qadir Trust case for recording his statement.
In a five-page written response submitted to the anti-graft body, the PTI chief informed the corruption watchdog that he was in Lahore and has been seeking bail in multiple cases on the orders of IHC till May 22, therefore, cannot appear before the NAB in person.
The PTI chief said the NAB call-up notice is “illegal” and as per the record no “corrupt practices” were unearthed. The motive behind turning the inquiry into the investigation is to politically victimize me, Imran alleged.
The former prime minister also told the NAB that he had only received one call-up notice during the entire inquiry. He also added that he had challenged the notices sent earlier by it in the same and other cases as per law.
The PTI chief also told the anti-graft watchdog that as per laws it is bound to provide a copy of the report of inquiry immediately if it is converted into an investigation to him which it did not do so. Imran added that on May 2, he had dispatched a letter to the NAB asking for a copy of the inquiry report yet it did not hand it over to him.
He explained that due to the NAB’s failure, he had decided to approach the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to seek a copy of the report.
Al-Qadir Trust case
NAB launched an inquiry into Al-Qadir University Trust in March, before turning it into an investigation on April 28. The NAB sent notices to Imran and his wife Bushra Bibi on May 1, which they said went "unanswered."
According to NAB, former premier Imran and his wife obtained billions of rupees and land measuring hundreds of kanals from Malik Riaz of Behria Town in return for Rs 50 billion that he paid as a settlement with the NCA and the same was adjusted in lieu of a fine imposed on him by the Supreme Court.
After an alleged audio leak in June 2022, purportedly of a telephone conversation between Malik Riaz and his daughter, the PML-N began accusing the ex-premier and his wife of some alleged favour to Malik Riaz.
Following the leak, Riaz denied his role in any political matters, and in a tweet claimed that the audio clip attributed to him and his daughter was “fabricated”.
Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah later accused Imran and his wife of accepting billions of rupees and hundreds of kanals of land for protecting Malik Riaz’s real estate firm in a money laundering case.
It all started five years ago when the NCA agreed to a settlement worth £190 million with the family of property tycoon Malik Riaz.
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