Imran skips NAB's summons for today in Al-Qadir Trust case

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief and former premier Imran Khan opted out on Thursday of appearing before the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) today in the Al-Qadir Trust probe.

In a call-up notice sent to the PTI chief two days ago, NAB referred to an order of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) which while granting Imran bail in the case on May 12 asked him to cooperate with NAB in its investigation into the scandal.

While executing the arrest warrant issued by NAB, paramilitary Rangers on May 9 arrested Imran Khan from the IHC premises leading to widespread protests and incidents of vandalism and arson.

The PTI approached the apex court against the arrest and a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court on May 11 declared the arrest illegal while allowing the PTI chief an opportunity to seek bail from the IHC in a number of cases including the NAB case.

NAB had asked Imran to appear in person along with relevant documents at the anti-graft watchdog's Rawalpindi office at 10 am today. The accountability watchdog had also summoned Mirza Shahzad Akbar, who served as Imran’s accountability aide, asking him to appear at NAB’s Rawalpindi office on May 22.

The documents that Imran was supposed to provide include applications sent by Britain’s National Crime Agency (NCA), copies of court orders, documents of funds freezing orders, related parties, agreements between the Government of Pakistan and the NCA, details of mutual contacts, registration of Al-Qadir University, acquisition of land, funds, details of all contracts and donations.

In a written response to the summons orders, Imran maintained that he can't leave Lahore as the IHC has given him till May 22 to secure pre-arrest bail in several cases.

Read What is the corruption case against Imran Khan?

The PTI chief further termed NAB's decision to change the investigation into an inquiry as illegal and contrary to NAB laws, seeking the inquiry report.

Notably, the government alleges that Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, received land worth millions of dollars as a bribe from a real estate tycoon through the Al-Qadir Trust. The trust, a non-governmental welfare organization, was set up by Bushra and Imran in 2018 when the latter served as the PM. The trust runs a university outside Islamabad devoted to spirituality and Islamic teachings.

Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah told a press conference on May 9 that the trust was a front for Imran Khan to receive valuable land as a bribe from the real estate developer.

The trust has nearly 60 acres of land worth Rs7 billion and another large piece of land in Islamabad close to Imran Khan's hilltop home, the minister said. The 60-acre parcel in Punjab's Jhelum district is the official site of the university but very little has been built there.

Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb also raised questions about donations given for operations of the under-construction institution. "The trust received Rs180 million for operational expenses, but records showed only Rs8.52 million on the books," she said in a statement.

The government said the scheme originated with 190 million pounds repatriated to Pakistan in 2019 by Britain after the real estate tycoon forfeited cash and assets to settle a British probe into whether they were proceeds of crime.

It said instead of putting it in Pakistan's treasury, Imran Khan's government used the money to pay fines levied by a court against the real estate builder for illegal acquisition of government lands at below-market value for development in Karachi.