LAHORE: Adhering to the advice of his legal team, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan is likely to skip his appearance at the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) today, Geo News reported Thursday citing sources.

The former prime minister received a notice from the anti-graft watchdog which had summoned him in connection with an investigation related to £190m settlement from the UK at 10am today.

The sources said that Khan’s legal team has advised him to submit a written response to the 20 questions asked in relation to the corruption case instead of appearing personally. 

According to reports, NAB Rawalpindi chapter had summoned Khan and several other PTI leaders in connection with the matter famously known as the Al-Qadir Trust case on May 18.

In its notice, the anti-graft body sought details of the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency (NCA) 2019 probe into assets worth £190 million from the ousted premier who is currently on bail in this case.

NAB had directed Khan to bring along details regarding the NCA investigation and all documents related to the Al-Qadir University including land papers, trust deeds, and bank statements.

The anti-corruption watchdog also warned the PTI chief of legal action in case of non-compliance with the summons.

The case

The British government, in 2019, uncovered a whopping £140 million in an account owned by a renowned Pakistani real estate tycoon’s son, and his wife from 2018 to 2019.

The NCA swiftly froze the funds, suspecting the criminal origins of the proceeds.

Surprisingly, neither the individual nor his wife challenged the account freeze. Following proper legal procedures, the UK returned the laundered funds to Pakistan’s government in 2019.

This decision was announced through a joint press release by the Assets Recovery Unit (ARU) and the NCA.

The case subsequently made its way to Pakistan’s federal cabinet on December 3, 2019, where it was presented by the then-special assistant to the prime minister (SAPM), Mirza Shahzad Akbar, in a sealed envelope.

The purpose of the presentation was to discuss the return of the funds, which would be channeled into an account overseen by the registrar of the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

This particular account was associated with the recovery of a staggering Rs460 billion from the same property tycoon, in connection with fines imposed on a housing scheme in Karachi.

“Khan approved the settlement without allowing his cabinet members to read it,” a source familiar with the investigation told The News.

Investigations have revealed that as part of an agreement to return the laundered money, the property tycoon offered a substantial compensation package. This included the transfer of 458 Kanal, 4 Marla and 58 square feet of land in Jhelum, alongside cash amounting to Rs285 million, which was destined for the Al-Qadir Trust.

The trustees of Al-Qadir Trust included then-prime minister Khan, his wife Bushra Bibi and his senior advisers Zulfiqar Bukhari and Babar Awan. However, it is worth noting that Awan and Bukhari’s positions were subsequently revoked on April 22, 2020.