Ex-spymaster Faiz Hamid ‘mastermind’ in £190m settlement case, claims Faisal Vawda

• Vawda sees no "important business personality" responsible in this case.
• “A closed envelope was put forth before participants of cabinet meeting.”
• President Arif Alvi has done what enemies could not do: former PTI leader.

Former Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Faisal Vawda on Wednesday claimed that ex-director general of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lt-Gen (retd) Faiz Hamid was the mastermind and the “biggest beneficiary” in £190 million Al-Qadir Trust case.

Vawda — once a close aide of former prime minister and PTI chairman Imran Khan — revealed that he was part of the federal cabinet when the £190m transaction was made, adding that he was the first minister who highlighted the issue and predicted that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) case would be filed in this regard.

Giving details, the former minister said: “A closed envelope was put forth before participants of the cabinet meeting and the matter was wrapped up in haste.” 

He added that the “closed envelop” was not part of the agenda of the meeting.

Without taking the name of a real estate tycoon, the former PTI senator said that he does not hold the “important business personality” responsible in the case.

It is pertinent to mention here that the ex-PM Khan — along with his wife Bushra Bibi and other PTI leaders — is facing a NAB inquiry related to a settlement between the previous PTI government and the property tycoon, which reportedly caused a loss of 190 million pounds to the national exchequer.

As per the charges, the PTI chief and other accused allegedly adjusted Rs50 billion — 190 million pounds at the time — sent by Britain’s National Crime Agency (NCA) to the Pakistani government as part of the agreement with the property tycoon.

They are also accused of getting undue benefit in the form of over 458 kanals of land at Mouza Bakrala, Sohawa, to establish Al Qadir University.

During the PTI government, the NCA seized assets worth 190 million pounds from a property tycoon in Britain.

The agency said the assets would be passed to the government of Pakistan and the settlement with the Pakistani property tycoon was “a civil matter, and does not represent a finding of guilt”.

Subsequently, then prime minister Khan get approval of the settlement with the UK crime agency from his cabinet on December 3, 2019, without disclosing the details of the confidential agreement.

It was decided that the money would be submitted to the Supreme Court on behalf of the tycoon.

Subsequently, Al-Qadir Trust was established in Islamabad a few weeks after the Imran-led government had approved the agreement with the property tycoon.

Two to three months after the cabinet’s approval, the property tycoon transferred 458 canals of land to Zulfi Bukhari, a close aide of the PTI chief, which he later transferred to the trust.

Talking to journalists in Islamabad today, Vawda said it was not rocket science to trace corruption in the £190m case. The former PTI leader claimed that he had informed NAB in writing and signed the documents.

Blasting the former ISI chief, Vawda accused that Hamid had committed the “biggest corruption” in the case but no one has taken his name till today.

He also blamed the ex-spymaster for helping former adviser to Prime Minister on Accountability and Interior Shahzad Akbar and others in fleeing from the country.

“Remnants of Faiz Hamid still in Senate and on left and right," he added.

The former federal minister claimed that he was expelled from the party when he gave “advice” to Khan.

Responding to a question, he said that President Arif Alvi and Aiwan-e-Sadr play a major role in connection with the “misunderstanding” between the PTI and the establishment. 

He added that the president has done what enemies could not do.