—— Directs authorities to seize vehicles registered in the names of accused
Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: An accountability court in Islamabad ordered on Tuesday the freezing of all assets and bank accounts of ‘absconding’ Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders Shehzad Akbar and Zulfiqar Bukhari in the £190 million case.
Judge Muhammad Bashir, presiding over the Toshakhana and £190 million references today, also issued the same order for other accused in the case including Farah Gogi, lawyer Zia Mustafa, and other party leaders.
The court also ordered authorities to seize all vehicles registered in the name of the accused. During the hearing of the case on Monday, the accountability court issued permanent arrest warrants for all accused.
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) also submitted the asset particulars of the six individuals accused in the £190 million scam case involving former prime minister Imran Khan and others. The case revolves around allegations of corruption and abuse of authority linked to a financial settlement during the PTI’s tenure, which reportedly incurred a £190 million loss to the national exchequer.
NAB launched an inquiry into the scandal earlier this year. The inquiry transitioned into an investigation on April 30, leading to Imran Khan’s sudden arrest at the Islamabad High Court premises on May 9. This arrest triggered widespread protests nationwide. Subsequently, the Supreme Court declared Imran’s arrest on May 9 as illegal.
On December 1, NAB filed a corruption reference against the former prime minister, his wife, and other suspects in an Islamabad accountability court.
The reference names a total of eight individuals, including Farhat Shahzadi aka Farah Gogi, PTI leader Zulfi Bukhari, Shahzad Akbar, and Barrister Zia-ul-Mustafa Naseem. Earlier, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan has to be presented in court on November 27 in the £190 million settlement case, as per the detailed order issued by the accountability court on Friday.
Following the last hearing, the court, led by Judge Muhammad Bashir, issued a comprehensive five-page order, extending the physical remand of the former prime minister by four days. The move followed deputy prosecutor general NAB Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi’s request for an additional 10-day remand.
According to the order, advocate Ali Zafar responded to NAB summons on November 23, appearing at its offices with the pertinent record, including an agreement signed on March 24, 2021. The anti-graft watchdog told the court that the investigation into the money transferred to the national treasury necessitated an extension in the remand.
The defense team objected to the extension, and submitted two letters. One of them, dated November 6, 2019, pertained to Mashreq Bank, the court was informed, adding that the letter emphasized that Imran had no involvement in the fund transfers.
