Al-Qadir Trust scam: Court initiates process to declare Shehzad Akbar, others as POs

ISLAMABAD: The Accountability Court, on Wednesday, initiated the process to declare Shehzad Akbar, former special assistant to the prime minister on accountability and former chairman of Asset Recovery Unit (ARU), property tycoon Malik Riaz Hussain, and others as proclaimed offenders, in the £190 million National Crime Agency (NCA) scam, commonly known as the Al-Qadir Trust case against former premier Imran Khan and his wife.

Accountability Court judge, while hearing the case at Adiala jail, initiated the process to declare Farhat Shehzadi alias Farah Gogi, Ziaul Mustafa Nasim, former expert on international criminal law ARU, Syed Zulfiqar Abbas Bukhari, former trustee of Al Qadir Trust, and Ahmed Ali Riaz, over the failure to join the trial of the case.

Khan’s counsel Sardar Latif Khosa and the NAB prosecutor appeared before the court. The anti-graft body on November 30 had filed a corruption reference against Imran Khan, his wife Bushra Bibi, and others.

During the hearing, the court marked the attendance of Khan and his wife.

The court extended the interim bail of Bushra Bibi till December 13.

The court also adjourned the hearing on Khan's plea seeking post-arrest bail in the Al-Qadir Trust case and bail in Toshakhana case till December 13.

Khosa, while talking to the media, said that when Khan was informed that the reference filed by the NAB consists of 10 volumes, he told the judge that my life is an open book and on my behalf, these 10 volumes be made public, so that the public know that what crime he has committed.

“My only crime is seeking Haqeeqi Azadi,” he was quoted as saying by Khosa.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023