An Islamabad accountability court issued non-bailable arrest warrants for property tycoon Malik Riaz, former special assistants to the premier Mirza Shahzad Akbar and Zulfi Bukhari, and three others in the reference filed in connection with the Al-Qadir Trust case. Non-bailable arrest warrants were also issued for Farhat Shahzadi, lawyer Ziaul Mustafa Nasim, and Riaz’s son Ali Ahmed Riaz.
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had filed the reference against Imran and seven others, including his wife Bushra Bibi, in connection with the Al-Qadir Trust case. The case alleges that Imran and Bushra Bibi obtained billions of rupees and land worth hundreds of kanals from Bahria Town Ltd for legalising Rs50 billion that was identified and returned to the country by the UK during the previous PTI government.
An Islamabad Accountability Judge issued a written order noting that Imran was already in judicial lockup and directed that a notice be issued to the Adiala jail superintendent to produce the PTI leader at the next hearing. Bushra Bibi had secured interim bail from the courts and was directed to appear at the next hearing. The judge ordered that non-bailable arrest warrants be issued for the other six suspects and for trial proceedings in the reference to be conducted at Adiala jail or wherever those nominated in the case were confined, as per a notification issued by the law ministry on November 14.
The reference alleges that the accused refused to provide information and were involved in corruption and corrupt practices. It claimed that Imran, Akbar, and Riaz played pivotal and crucial roles in the illicit transfer of funds meant for the state of Pakistan. Bushra Bibi and Shahzadi were also said to have played significant and crucial roles in the illegal activities, and it pleaded for the suspects to be tried and punished in accordance with the law.