An Islamabad accountability court has taken a significant step, issuing non-bailable arrest warrants for property tycoon Malik Riaz, former special assistants to the premier Mirza Shahzad Akbar and Zulfi Bukhari, and three others. This action comes in connection with the Al-Qadir Trust case, adding another layer to the legal challenges faced by these individuals.
Among those issued with non-bailable warrants are Farhat Shahzadi, an acquaintance of the spouse of former premier Imran Khan, lawyer Ziaul Mustafa Nasim, and Riaz’s son Ali Ahmed Riaz.
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had lodged the reference against Imran and seven others, including his wife Bushra Bibi, linking them to the Al-Qadir Trust case. The case alleges that Imran and Bushra Bibi received substantial sums of money and extensive land from Bahria Town Ltd to legitimize Rs50 billion identified and repatriated to Pakistan by the UK during the prior PTI government’s tenure.
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NAB’s filing contends that Imran played a pivotal role in the improper transfer of funds, specifically earmarked for Pakistan, to an account designated for Bahria Town’s land payment in Karachi. It further alleges deliberate obstruction by the accused in providing necessary information despite repeated opportunities.
Judge Muhammad Bashir, overseeing the case, directed the Adiala jail superintendent to produce Imran at the next hearing on December 6, noting that the PTI leader was already in judicial custody for another case—the cipher case.
Meanwhile, Bushra Bibi, who secured interim bail, was directed to be present at the subsequent hearing. The judge categorically mentioned that the remaining suspects named in the reference were “at large,” mandating the issuance of non-bailable arrest warrants, with a directive for their production without fail at the next court session.
The court order specified that the trial proceedings related to this case would be conducted at Adiala jail or wherever the involved individuals were confined, as outlined in a law ministry notification dated November 14. This development marks another chapter in the legal battles surrounding the Al-Qadir Trust case, highlighting the gravity of the allegations against the accused.
