Faisal Vawda says Faiz Hameed 'mastermind' of corruption scandal surrounding Al-Qadir Trust

Faisal Vawda, a former federal minister claimed on Wednesday that ex-spymaster Faiz Hameed was the "architect" and "mastermind" of the corruption case Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman and former premier Imran Khan is currently facing regarding the Al-Qadir Trust.

“My compulsion today was to tell the nation that when you say the beneficiary is Imran, […] the biggest is Faiz Hameed,” he said while speaking to reporters in Islamabad.

"This was a very small case," he said, adding that "bigger crimes would be uncovered when things were further probed."

Asked about President Dr. Arif Alvi's role in the current political crisis, he said he played a "huge role in creating misunderstandings."

“What the president has done, I don’t think even an enemy could do. A huge role in these misunderstandings is of the President House and President Arif Alvi sahib.”

Further, Vawda said he had warned Imran Khan before about "snakes" in his party, but his advice wasn't taken seriously.

Earlier, PTI chief Imran Khan appeared before the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in the £190 million National Crime Agency (NCA) scam commonly known as the Al-Qadir Trust case.

Sources said that the JIT grilled Khan regarding the record of correspondence with the NCA in the United Kingdom (UK) and freezing orders from Khan regarding the £190 million. During the interrogation, Khan told the JIT, the NAB had already obtained the “Al-Qadir Trust’s record”.

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.