In a jaw-dropping scandal, the Imran Khan-led PTI government stands accused of orchestrating one of the most egregious acts of corruption in recent history. The controversy centres on a staggering £190 million, money stolen from Pakistan and later returned through a plea deal brokered by the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA).
Malik Riaz, a well-known Pakistani property tycoon, found himself entangled in a web of corruption charges in the UK. The NCA had irrefutable evidence of his illegal activities, leading to a plea deal in December 2019. Riaz agreed to return £190 million, money that rightfully belonged to the people of Pakistan. This should have been a triumphant moment for the nation, a significant victory in the fight against corruption. But the reality was far from it.
Under the PTI government’s watch, this recovered fortune did not benefit the public. Instead, it quietly slipped back into the pockets of the same tycoon from whom it was seized.
On 18 July 2024, a dramatic twist unfolded in the legal proceedings against Imran Khan concerning the £190 million Al-Qadir Trust case when his trusted principal secretary, Azam Khan, testified against him. Azam Khan revealed that Shahzad Akbar, the former prime minister’s aide on accountability, had personally handed him a confidential note, signed by Akbar, seeking cabinet approval for the contentious matter.
According to Azam Khan, this note came with explicit instructions from Imran Khan himself to expedite the process. Azam Khan dutifully forwarded the file to the cabinet secretary for formal presentation. However, due to prior commitments, he was unable to attend the crucial cabinet meeting where the approval was granted. In his testimony, Azam Khan confirmed the authenticity of the document presented by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), unequivocally stating, “My signature is indeed on that document.” This revelation casts a long shadow over Imran Khan’s administration.
The £190 million money laundering case is not just a financial scandal but a moral one, revealing the depths of corruption into which PTI and its leader have plunged.
Pervez Khattak also testified against Imran Khan in the same case. Khattak was a key PTI leader, also serving as defence minister in Khan’s cabinet, which, he claimed, had approved a confidential deed to transfer money seized by the UK to Bahria Town owner Malik Riaz. In a brief 15-minute statement, Khattak informed accountability judge Muhammad Ali Warriach about the cabinet’s approval of the confidential deed, detailing how the £190 million seized by the UK’s NCA as proceeds of crime was allegedly returned to the property tycoon through a clandestine arrangement.
The case implicates Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi in obtaining billions of rupees and vast tracts of land from Bahria Town Ltd in exchange for legalising the funds through the federal cabinet. Khattak testified that he participated in the December 2019 meeting where then-accountability adviser Mirza Shahzad Akbar presented the confidential deed in a sealed envelope for cabinet approval. Despite inquiries from some cabinet members, Akbar refused to disclose the document’s contents, citing its confidential nature. This revelation, combined with Azam Khan’s earlier testimony, further undermines Imran Khan’s credibility and raises pressing questions about the integrity and transparency of his administration.
The Supreme Court of Pakistan imposed a fine of Rs 460 billion on Malik Riaz for illegal land acquisition and corrupt practices involving his real estate empire, Bahria Town. This fine coincided with a £190 million settlement with the UK’s NCA, intended to be repatriated to Pakistan for public welfare. It was later revealed that the amount was used to settle the Supreme Court’s fine on behalf of Malik Riaz through a confidential agreement facilitated by the PTI government and approved by the cabinet under Shahzad Akbar’s guidance.
Imran Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, and her close associates were heavily involved in the scandal. The Al-Qadir Trust, ostensibly established to create an educational institution, was the main beneficiary of this dubious deal. Malik Riaz transferred 458 kanals of prime land to the trust, allegedly as a quid pro quo for money laundering services provided by the PTI government.
This scandal laid bare the sheer hypocrisy of Imran Khan’s anti-corruption rhetoric. Promising to build a “New Pakistan,” he instead presided over a government that protected and enriched corrupt elites. The funds meant for public welfare were misappropriated, and the trust deed, signed by Imran Khan himself, only solidified the connection between the PTI leadership and corrupt practices.
How could a government, elected on a platform of justice and transparency, allow such a betrayal? The £190 million money laundering case is not just a financial scandal but a moral one, revealing the depths of corruption into which PTI and its leader have plunged.
This scandal leaves us questioning the true motives behind Khan’s anti-corruption narrative and whether his government ever intended to serve the public or merely protect the interests of the elite. How can the public trust leaders who, while preaching honesty, engage in such blatant acts of corruption? What other truths remain hidden under the guise of reform and righteousness? This scandal has forever marred the legacy of Imran Khan’s government, a glaring example of the duplicity and betrayal of the very values it claimed to uphold.
The writer is a political activist and works in youth development.
