Scam of Rs50bn returned by UK: Imran’s 21 ministers issued notices by NAB

ISLAMABAD: The NAB has issued notices to at least 21 cabinet members of the Imran Khan government to probe into the scandalous handling of Bahria Town’s Rs50 billion transferred from the UK during the PTI government’s tenure. Those prominent issued notices include Pervez Khattak, Shafqat Mehmood, Murad Saeed, Hammad Azhar, Asad Umar, Farogh Nasim, Shaikh Rashid, Faisal Vawda, Dr Shireen Mazari and others.

The remaining cabinet members will also be engaged in the probe. Imran Khan will be the last person to be issued notice to join the probe. The sources said the NAB Rawalpindi is issuing these notices to the entire PTI cabinet as part of its inquiry into the alleged misuse of authority, financial gains and criminal breach of trust in recovery of crime proceeds received from the UK and illegal sealing of its record.

Sources said the main accused in this dubious funds transfer are former prime minister Imran Khan and his accountability aide Barrister Shahzad Akbar. Notice has also been issued to Ali Riaz Malik of the housing society to explain his company’s stance in this case. Ali has been asked to appear before NAB on Oct 12. It was also reported that mutual legal assistance was also being raised through the Foreign Office to get the UK home department’s assistance to probe the case.

Details show that the following ex-cabinet members of the Imran government have been issued notices by the NAB; Ghulam Sarwar Khan has been asked to appear on Oct 11 at 11:00am; Murad Saeed to appear on Oct 11 at 2:00pm; Pervez Khattak to appear on Oct 12 at 2:00pm; Mrs Zubaida Jalal to appear on Oct 13 at 11:00am; Muhammad Hammad Azhar to appear on Oct 13 at 2:00pm; Shafqat Mehmood to appear on Oct 14 at 11:00am; Dr Shireen Mazari to appear on Oct 14 at 2:00pm; Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqi to appear on Oct 17 at 11:00am; Ijaz Ahmad Shah to appear on Oct 17 at 2:00pm; Ali Amin Khan Gandapur to appear on Oct 18 at 11:00pm; Dr Muhammad Farogh Naseem to appear on Oct 18 at 2:00pm; Syed Ali Haider Zaidi to appear on Oct 19 at 2:00pm; Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar to appear on Oct 19 at 2:00pm; Muhammad Azam Khan Swati to appear on Oct 20 at 11:00am; Asad Umar to appear on Oct 20 at 2:00pm; Omar Ayub Khan to appear on Oct 21 at 11:00am; Muhammad Mian Soomro to appear on Oct 21 at 2:00pm; Shaikh Rashid to appear on Oct 24 at 11:00am; Fawad Ahmed to appear on Oct 24 at 2:00pm; Sahibzada Muhammad Mehboob Sultan to appear on Oct 25 at 11:00am; and Muhammad Faisal Vawda to appear on Oct 25 at 2:00pm.

The Imran cabinet is being probed about the proceedings of the cabinet meeting dated Dec 3, 2019 held at the Prime Minister’s Office, wherein “a decision was made on Item No 2 titled ‘Account Freezing Orders (ARQs) and Repatriation of Funds to Pakistan in Mr Ahmed Ali Riaz & family and housing society presented and briefed by Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Accountability and Interior and also directed the Cabinet Secretary to seal the record, therefore, you are in possession of information/evidence whatsoever, which relates to the commission of the said offence(s).”

According to the notice issued to Pervez Khattak, “In view, thereof, you are called upon to appear on 12-10-2011 at 02:00 pm at NAB (Rwp), Civic Centre, G-6 Melody, Islamabad, before the CIT, along with documentary evidence, to record your statement.”

The notice says, “You are advised that failing to comply with this notice, may entail penal consequences as provided in S.2 of the schedule of NAO, 1999.” Within a few months of coming into power, the present government had alleged that National Crime Agency of the United Kingdom had transferred over Rs50 billion to the government of Pakistan, which were deposited in an SC account instead of the public kitty, during Imran Khan’s tenure.