ISLAMABAD: A witness in the corruption trial involving £190 million testified in front of an accountability court, stating that Ahmed Ali Riaz Malik, son of property magnate Malik Riaz, purchased land in Banigala for Farhat Shahzadi, also known as Farah Khan.
During the trial last week, a local land official from Circle Mohra Noor (Banigala) revealed that a 240 kanals, six marlas piece of land in Moza Mohra Noor was transferred from Bahria Town to Farhat Shahzadi through Ahmed Ali Riaz Malik.
The witness provided certified copies of 14 transactions showing the land’s transfer to Bahria Town from various landowners. He detailed that 100 kanals, one marla, and 100 kanals, five marlas were transferred to Farhat Shahzadi for Rs250,125,000 and Rs250,625,000 respectively, and 40 kanals for Rs32,000,000.
However, the witness clarified that neither Imran Ahmed Khan Niazi nor Bushra Imran’s names appeared in the land transfer records.
Imran Khan’s lawyer, Khalid Yousaf Chaudhry, interpreted this statement as clearing the former Prime Minister and his spouse of corruption charges. Farah Khan remains a fugitive in this case.
The reference filed in the accountability court revealed that Shahzad Akbar, another fugitive, had presented a note to then-PM Imran Khan, disclosing that the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) had frozen an account holding £20m on December 2, 2019. The NCA obtained eight account freezing orders (AFOs) related to £119.7m held in Malik Riaz’s family accounts on August 12, 2019. This included a prime property in London valued at £50m. The total estimated value in the reference amounted to £190m.
The reference alleged that Bahria Town illegally benefited Imran Khan with land, disguised as a donation to Al-Qadir University Project Trust, of which Khan and Bushra Imran were settler/founder and trustee respectively.
It further accused Khan and Akbar of conspiring to provide legal cover for £171.15m transferred to Malik Riaz. NAB has issued warrants for Imran Khan, Shahzad Akbar, Zulfi Bukhari, and Farah Khan.
The reference asserted that Imran Ahmed Khan Niazi played a central role in diverting state funds into Bahria Town’s account and benefited materially from it.
Shahzad Akbar was accused of misusing his position in the Assets Recovery Unit (ARU) to favor Malik Riaz, while lawyer Ziaul Mustafa Nasim was accused of aiding Akbar. Malik Riaz, as CEO/Director of Bahria Town, was alleged to have conspired with others to divert state funds into Bahria Town’s account.
Ahmed Ali Riaz was accused of collaborating with his father, Imran Khan, and Shahzad Akbar in transferring land to Farah Khan, while Zulfi Bukhari was accused of being Imran Khan’s frontman.
