The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) conducted a raid on Bahria Town’s office in Rawalpindi on Monday as part of the “Al-Qadir Trust University case.”
According to sources, the anti-corruption team searched for records related to Al-Qadir Trust University at Bahria Town’s office, with support from Punjab police and elite force teams.
The Al-Qadir Trust University is connected to a high-profile case involving Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and a £190 million settlement with the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA).
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In response to the raid, Bahria Town Chairman Malik Riaz Hussain tweeted that he would face all challenges and not become “an approver.”
Sources added that NAB is investigating alleged irregularities involving Bahria Town, particularly concerning land acquired for Bahria Enclave’s zoo project.
Al-Qadir Trust Case Background:
PTI chairman Imran Khan faces corruption charges involving billions of rupees, along with his wife Bushra Bibi and other PTI leaders. The case centers on a settlement between the PTI government and a property tycoon, leading to a £190 million loss to Pakistan’s national treasury.
Khan and the other accused allegedly adjusted Rs50 billion (then £190 million) sent by Britain’s NCA to the Pakistani government as part of a deal with the property tycoon. They are also accused of receiving over 458 kanals of land in Mouza Bakrala, Sohawa, for establishing Al-Qadir University.
During the PTI government, the NCA seized assets worth £190 million from the property tycoon in Britain, which were to be returned to Pakistan. The settlement was seen as a civil matter, not a criminal finding.
Then-prime minister Khan approved the settlement with the UK crime agency on December 3, 2019, without disclosing agreement details. The money was to be submitted to the Supreme Court on behalf of the tycoon.
Shortly after the PTI government approved the agreement, the Al-Qadir Trust was established in Islamabad. Trust members included Zulfi Bukhari, Babar Awan, Bushra Bibi, and her friend Farah Khan. A few months later, the property tycoon transferred 458 kanals of land to Bukhari, who then transferred it to the trust. Bukhari and Awan eventually left the trust, which is now registered to Khan, Bushra Bibi, and Farah.
NAB officials initially investigated the alleged misuse of power in handling the “dirty money” received from the UK crime agency. The inquiry became a full investigation after “irrefutable evidence” emerged. NAB claims that Khan and his wife received valuable land from the tycoon to build an educational institute in exchange for legalizing the tycoon’s money from the UK crime agency.
