An investigative team of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Monday questioned Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan's close friend Zulfikar Bukhari alias Zulfi Bukhari about his offshore companies. The London-based businessman was probed for one-and-a-half-hour as he appeared before the accountability body for the first time in an ongoing NAB probe against him pertaining to offshore companies.
Bukhari, who was accompanied by his counsel, presented details about his offshore companies to the accountability body. Talking to journalists after leaving the NAB office, Bukhari said, "This was an initial investigation and the case will go on for now."
"The NAB has asked me to appear before the investigative team again on Wednesday (July 27)," he further said. Responding to a question, Bukhari said, "My name was not on the Exit Control List (ECL) and I have said this before as well." Bukhari appeared before the NAB after the Islamabad High Court's (IHC) instructions on June 21, 2018.
Bukhari had been directed by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on June 21 to appear before NAB. The instruction was delivered while the court was hearing two petitions, one dealing with Bukhari's removal from ECL while the other challenging his name's removal. Bukhari was set to leave for performing Umrah in Saudi Arabia when he was prevented from doing so on June 11. However, the Interior Ministry allowed him to leave for six days by granting one-time exemption.
Sikandar Bashir Mohmand, the counsel for Zulfi Bukhari, argued that his client, a British national, left for Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah along with PTI Chairman Imran Khan, in a special flight from the Noor Khan Airbase when the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) informed him that his name was on the blacklist.
A NAB prosecutor informed the court that Zulfi Bukhari failed to appear before the accountability body despite being issued notices. Earlier, Bukhari replied to the summons of NAB on March 20 that he was a British citizen and NAB has no jurisdiction to investigate him, the prosecutor said, adding that the bureau was not informed that Interior Ministry had placed his name on the blacklist.
Interior Ministry officials informed the bench that they had received a letter from the NAB on May 10 requesting that Bukhari's name be placed on the Exit Control List. The ministry placed Bukhari's name on the blacklist after receiving the letter, the officials informed.
According to Bukhari's petition, he is facing an inquiry and the NAB has issued multiple notices to him since February this year. The petitioner responded to the third notice saying that since he was a British national, the NAB lacked the jurisdiction to investigate him.