‘I was eyewitness in all transactions linked to Al-Qadir Trust case’, Azam Khan tells NAB

• NAB issues notice to Imran Khan's ex-principal secretary to appear today. 
• Azam Khan confirms pre-existing documents related to Al-Qadir Trust case. 
• Ex-principal secretary also answers questions related to cabinet meeting.

ISLAMABAD: Azam Khan, former principal secretary to ex-prime minister Imran Khan, on Friday reportedly told National Accountability Bureau (NAB) that he was the "eyewitness" to all transactions that took place in the Al-Qadir Trust case, Geo News learnt.

Azam appeared before the accountability watchdog in the Rawalpindi office in connection with the investigation of the £190m settlement case where he recorded his statement in front of the joint investigation team and answered questions.

NAB issued a notice to the former principal secretary on July 20, directing him to appear at NAB Rawalpindi at 10am today related to the case, which also involves a property tycoon.

According to the sources, Azam confirmed the pre-existing documents related to the Al-Qadir Trust case and explained how the money was transacted.

He also confirmed that he was an eyewitness to all the transactions that took place related to the £190m settlement case, saying that he has "witnessed a lot of things and that Imran Khan also gave instructions in this regard".

Azam further revealed that then-accountability aide Shahzad Akbar played a key role in the preparation of a summary that sought the federal cabinet's approval of a deal with the UK's National Crime Agency (NCA).

"On December 2, 2019, the summary was sent by Shahzad Akbar and a meeting had taken place before the cabinet meeting with Imran Khan which was also attended by Akbar," the former bureaucrat added.

Azam also answered the questions related to the cabinet meeting and further informed the NAB team about the meetings regarding the summary, according to sources.

NAB seeks records from Imran Khan

On May 23, the anti-corruption watchdog sought different records from the ousted prime minister, who was removed from power via a parliamentary vote last year, pertaining to the £190 million settlement case after he appeared at the Rawalpindi office for interrogation.

Imran had told the team that the records about the settlement case are with the cabinet division and that he does not have access to the record of the United Kingdom’s NCA, while records of Al-Qadir Trust are already with NAB.

The team has asked the PTI chief to submit a record of all donors of the university as well as the donations he has made himself.

The NAB team, as per the sources, has also sought a record of the university's affiliation with Punjab Higher Education and the trust deed between the trust and company of all the accused.

The sources told Geo News that the anti-graft body grilled Imran over the record of correspondence with the NCA in the UK. NAB has also sought records of freezing orders from Imran regarding the £190 million. 

Case background

The British government, in 2019, uncovered a whopping £140 million in an account owned by a renowned Pakistani real estate tycoon's son, and his wife from 2018 to 2019.

The NCA swiftly froze the funds, suspecting the criminal origins of the proceeds.

Surprisingly, neither the individual nor his wife challenged the account freeze. Following proper legal procedures, the UK returned the laundered funds to Pakistan's government in 2019.

This decision was announced through a joint press release by the Assets Recovery Unit (ARU) and the NCA.

The case subsequently made its way to Pakistan’s federal cabinet on December 3, 2019, where it was presented by the then-special assistant to the prime minister (SAPM), Shahzad Akbar, in a sealed envelope.

The purpose of the presentation was to discuss the return of the funds, which would be channelled into an account overseen by the registrar of the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

This particular account was associated with the recovery of a staggering Rs460 billion from the same property tycoon, in connection with fines imposed on a housing scheme in Karachi.

“Imran Khan approved the settlement without allowing his cabinet members to read it,” a source familiar with the investigation told The News.

Investigations have revealed that as part of an agreement to return the laundered money, the property tycoon offered a substantial compensation package. This included the transfer of 458 Kanal, 4 Marla and 58 square feet of land in Jhelum, alongside cash amounting to Rs285 million, which was destined for the Al-Qadir Trust.

The trustees of Al-Qadir Trust included then-prime minister Imran Khan, his wife Bushra Bibi and his senior advisers Zulfiqar Bukhari and Babar Awan. However, it is worth noting that Awan and Bukhari's positions were subsequently revoked on April 22, 2020.