Khattak set to testify against Imran in £190m case

Nadeem Afzal Chan and Zubaida Jalal also prosecution witnesses

LAHORE:

Former prime minister Imran Khan’s close confidant Pervez Khattak along with former PTI leader Nadeem Afzal Chan and one of his cabinet members, Zubaida Jalal, have been identified as witnesses for the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in the £190 million case.

Azam Khan, the former premier’s principal secretary, is also listed as one of NAB’s witnesses. The roster includes bank officers, Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) representatives, a patwari, and the secretary and deputy secretary of the Assets Recovery Unit.

The executive director and chief financial officer of Al-Qadir Trust, purportedly formed by Imran Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi, are also set to testify for NAB.

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.

Read NAB files £190m reference against Imran, Bushra

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.