Pakistan's anti-corruption court issues arrest warrants against Imran Khan in two cases

Imran Khan. File Pic

An anti-corruption court in Pakistan on Monday issued arrest warrants against former premier Imran Khan in two cases linked with the Al-Qadir Trust and the Toshakhana gifts case.

Islamabad-based accountability court judge Muhammad Bashir issued the warrants at the request of the National Accountability Court (NAB), the anti-corruption watchdog.

The Ali-Qadir Trust case is about the settlement of 190 million pounds, about Rs 50 billion, which the UK's National Crime Agency sent to Pakistan after recovering the amount from a Pakistani property tycoon.

Khan being the prime minister then, instead of depositing in the national kitty, allowed the businessman to use the amount to partly settle a fine of about Rs450 billion imposed by the Supreme Court some years ago.

Reportedly, the tycoon in return gifted about 57 acres of land to a trust set up by Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi to establish the Al-Qadir University in Sohawa area of Jhelum district of Punjab.

The court also issued Khan's arrest warrant in the Toshakhana gifts, which is a different case from the one he was convicted in August and arrested but later granted bail. That case was filed by the Election Commission of Pakistan for hiding the proceeds of sale from the gifts he got from the Toshakhana.

The latest arrest warrant was issued in the case filed by the NAB, which approached the court to issue arrest warrants against Khan because he was needed to complete investigation in the two cases.

The court accepted the plea and directed the superintendent of Adiala jail, Rawalpindi, where Khan is currently lodged in connection with the cipher case, to ensure compliance.

Separately, Khan's wife Bushra Bibi appeared before NAB in Islamabad in connection with the Al-Qadir Trust case probe. After questioning her, the watchdog gave her a questionnaire containing 11 questions.

Khan was for the first time arrested on May 9 in the Al-Qadir Trust case and his supporters in retaliation resorted to violence. He was released on May 11 on the orders of the Supreme Court but later arrested after conviction in the Toshakhana case.

He was later given two-week bail by the Islamabad High Court in the Al-Qadir Trust case.

Separately, Dunya News reported that the caretaker government on Monday placed the name of Bushra Bibi on the no-fly list.

The government took the decision on the recommendation of the NAB in the Al-Qadir Trust case.

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