ISLAMABAD: An Islamabad accountability court on Monday issued non-bailable arrest warrants for property tycoon Malik Riaz, former special assistants to the premier Zulfi Bukhari and Mirza Shahzad Akbar, and three others in the reference filed in connection with the Al-Qadir Trust case.
Non-bailable arrest warrants were also issued for Farhat Shahzadi, a close friend of the wife of ex-prime minister Imran Khan, lawyer Ziaul Mustafa Nasim, and Riaz’s son Ali Ahmed Riaz.
Last week, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had filed a reference against Imran Khan and seven others, including his spouse, Bushra Bibi, in connection with the Al-Qadir Trust case.
The case alleges that Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi obtained billions of rupees and land valued at hundreds of kanals from Bahria Town Ltd for legalizing fifty billion rupees that were identified and returned to the country by the United Kingdom (UK) during the previous PTI government.
Charges Against Imran Khan in Al-Qadir Trust Reference
The reference filed by NAB alleged that Imran Khan, who is currently in prison, played an important role in the illicit transfer of funds meant for the country into an account designated for the payment of land by Bahria Town, Karachi.
It also claimed that despite being provided with multiple opportunities to justify and furnish information, the accused deliberately, with mala fide intention, refused to present information on one pretext or another.
Shahzadi, former special assistants to the prime minister Bukhari and Akbar, lawyer Nasim, and property tycoon Malik Riaz and his son were also named in the reference.
Today, Islamabad Accountability Judge Muhammad Bashir issued a written order, which said that Imran Khan was already in prison and was presented in court in connection with another case — the cipher case.
He directed that a notice be issued to the Adiala jail superintendent, where Imran Khan is incarcerated, to produce him at the next hearing scheduled for 6 December. The judge said that Bushra Bibi had got interim bail and directed that she be informed to appear at the next hearing.
The judge added that the other six suspects named in the reference were “stated as at large” and thus ordered that non-bailable arrest warrants be issued and reports be submitted at the next date without fail.
