NAB calls Sheikh Rashid in Al-Qadir Trust case

RAWALPINDI: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Monday summoned Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, who is a close aide of former prime minister Imran Khan, to appear before it in the £190 million Al-Qadir Trust case on Tuesday. 

The former federal minister has been directed to appear before the anti-corruption watchdog in person at 11am. As per the NAB notice, Rashid was also asked to bring along all documents related to the case.

Khan — along with his wife Bushra Bibi and other PTI leaders — is facing a NAB inquiry related to a settlement between the PTI government and a property tycoon, which reportedly caused a loss of £190 million to the national exchequer.

As per the charges, the former prime minister and other accused allegedly adjusted Rs50 billion — £190 million at the time — sent by Britain’s National Crime Agency (NCA) to the Pakistani government as part of the agreement with the property tycoon.

They are also accused of getting undue benefit in the form of over 458 kanals of land at Mouza Bakrala, Sohawa, to establish Al-Qadir University.

During the PTI government, the NCA seized assets worth 190 million pounds from the property tycoon in Britain.

The agency said the assets would be passed to the government of Pakistan and the settlement with the Pakistani property tycoon was “a civil matter, and does not represent a finding of guilt”.

Subsequently, then-prime minister Khan, who was removed from power last year, got approval for the settlement with the UK crime agency from his cabinet on December 3, 2019, without disclosing the details of the confidential agreement.

It was decided that the money would be submitted to the Supreme Court on behalf of the tycoon.

Subsequently, the Al-Qadir Trust was established in Islamabad a few weeks after the PTI-led government approved the agreement with the property tycoon.