The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) filed a £190 million corruption reference in the accountability court on Friday against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, his wife Bushra Bibi, a close family friend Farah Gogi, and property tycoon Malik Riaz, in connection with the Al-Qadir Trust case.
The reference against eight suspects was submitted to the court's registrar's office by NAB Deputy Prosecutor General Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi and Investigation Officer Mian Umar Nadeem. Other accused named in the reference include Shahzad Akbar, Barrister Ziaul Mustafa Naseem, and Zulfi Bukhari. Documents filed contain arrest warrants for the accused as well as a list of 59 witnesses.
The PTI chief and Akbar were accused of collaboration in the reference. It was claimed that on December 2, 2019, Akbar sent a false letter claiming that the account of the Supreme Court Registrar was the account of the state of Pakistan. According to the report, the PTI chairman, who was the prime minister at the time, was aware of the entire scheme since he had taken 458 kanal of land in 2019 and had it transferred in the name of Zulfi Bukhari.
The Al-Qadir Trust did not exist when the land was transferred, according to the statement. NAB has urged that the accused be prosecuted and punished in the reference. The Registrar's Office began investigating the reference, which would then be presented before Accountability Court Judge Muhammad Bashir.
Meanwhile, the Special Court established under the Official Secrets Act (OSA) announced on Friday that the cipher case trial against PTI chairman and Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi will be completed within four weeks, as instructed by the Islamabad High Court (IHC).
After receiving notification from the law ministry, the court scheduled the next hearing of the case in Adiala Jail for Saturday (today). The PTI chairman, on the other hand, has challenged Special Court Judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain's order for the jail trial.