Pakistan: NAB to arrest Imran Khan's wife in GBP 190 million reference

Islamabad: A team of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) will be sent from its Rawalpindi bureau to arrest former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's wife, Bushra Bibi, in the GBP 190 million reference, Geo News reported.
The decision to arrest Bushra Bibi was taken by the accountability watchdog and it has directed the NAB Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to fully cooperate with the Rawalpindi team, Geo News reported, citing The News. In order to arrest Bushra Bibi, the NAB team will also take help from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police.
On November 22, an accountability court had issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Imran Khan's wife for not appearing in eight consecutive hearings. Judge Nasir Javed Rana had rejected her application requesting an exemption to appear before the court. The court had even issued a show-cause notice to Bushra Bibi's bail guarantor.
In the court hearing, Imran Khan, who is currently incarcerated in Adiala prison, was presented before the court, Geo News reported. However, a NAB official raised objected that the medical report Bushra Bibi's counsel submitted was issued by Peshawar's Lady Reading Hospital, while the notary attestation was done in Islamabad.
Furthermore, Imran Khan and his wife did not submit their statement under Section 342 of CrPC, 1898. The couple had been given a over 79-point questionnaire for final statements at the second last hearing of this case, Geo News reported.
Notably, Bushra Bibi was released from Adiala jail on bail in October after remaining in prison for around nine months in the new Toshakhana case.
In the case filed by accountability bureau against former Pakistan PM Imran Khan, his wife and others in 2023, the couple is facing a NAB inquiry pertaining to a settlement between the PTI government and a property tycoon, which reportedly resulted in a loss of £190 million to the national exchequer.
According to the charges, former Pakistan PM and other accused allegedly adjusted Pakistani Rupees (PKR) 50 billion -- £190 million at the time -- sent by the UK's National Crime Agency (NCA) to the Pakistani government as part of the agreement with the property tycoon.
Imran Khan's wife was named an accused in the case for being a trustee of the Al-Qadir Trust. They have been accused of taking undue benefit in the form of more than 458 kanals of land at Mouza Bakrala, Sohawa, to establish Al Qadir University.
During Imran Khan-led government, the NCA seized assets worth £190 million from the property tycoon in the UK. The UK agency stated that the assets would be passed to the Pakistani government and the settlement with the Pakistani property tycoon was "a civil matter, and does not represent a finding of guilt".
Subsequently, then-Pakistan PM Imran Khan got approval for the settlement with the UK crime agency from his cabinet on December 3, 2019, without sharing information regarding the confidential agreement, according to Geo News report.
The decision was taken to submit the money to the Supreme court on behalf of the business tycoon. The Al-Qadir Trust was formed in Islamabad a few weeks after the PTI-led government approved the agreement with the property tycoon.