The Al-Qadir Trust case also known as the £190 million National Crime Agency (NCA) scam, is a case involving former Pakistani prime minister

Imran Khan Imran Ahmed Khan Niazi (born 5 October 1952) is a Pakistani politician, philanthropist, and former cricketer who served as the 19th prime minister of Pakistan from August 2018 until April 2022. He was the founder of the political party Pak ...

and Pakistani businessman

Malik Riaz Malik Riaz Hussain (; born February 8, 1954 in Sialkot) is a Pakistani real estate tycoon who is the founder of Bahria Town. Early life Malik Riaz was born to a private contractor who was fairly wealthy. However, his father's business fail ...

. The case centres on accusations of corruption and abuse of authority in relation to a settlement which is said to have cost the national exchequer £190 million. This amount was intended for the Government of Pakistan but was instead deposited into a Supreme Court account designated for fines imposed on Bahria Town, Malik Riaz's real estate company, as part of a separate land acquisition case. The case is under investigation by the

National Accountability Bureau The National Accountability Bureau (; abbreviated NAB) is Pakistan's anti-corruption agency. Its chairman is Nazir Ahmed Butt, a retired general. History The Ehtesab Act, 1997 established an Ehtesab Cell, charged with the investigation and pr ...

Background

Property tycoon Malik Riaz had assets worth £190 million seized by the

National Crime Agency The National Crime Agency (NCA) is a Law enforcement agency#natlea, national law enforcement agency in the United Kingdom. It is the UK's lead agency against organised crime; Human trafficking, human, Arms trafficking, weapon and Illegal drug t ...

(NCA) of the United Kingdom during the

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is a political party in Pakistan established in 1996 by cricketer and politician Imran Khan, who served as the country's prime minister from 2018 to 2022. The party is led by Gohar Ali Khan since late 2023. ...

(PTI) administration. The assets would be transferred to the

Pakistani government The Government of Pakistan () (abbreviated as GoP), constitutionally known as the Federal Government, commonly known as the Centre, is the national authority of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, a federal republic located in South Asia ...

, according to the NCA. The agreement with the real estate tycoon was regarded as a civil matter and did not indicate guilt. On 3 December 2019, then Prime Minister

received approval from his cabinet for the settlement with the UK crime agency without revealing the specifics of the private accord. According to the arrangement, the money would be presented to the Supreme Court on Malik Riaz's behalf. In the weeks that followed the decision, Islamabad saw the founding of the Al-Qadir Trust. Members of the trust have been named as PTI leaders

Zulfi Bukhari Sayed Zulfikar Abbas Bukhari (born 3 December 1980), also known as Zulfi Bukhari, is a UK-based Pakistani politician, businessman and film producer. He served as a Special Assistant to Prime Minister Imran Khan in the capacity of a Minister of ...

Babar Awan Zaheer-ud-din Babar Awan (; SI), is a Pakistani politician, senior lawyer, author, analyst, columnist, and leftist writer who served as Adviser to Prime Minister for Parliamentary Affairs from April 2020 to 10 April 2022, and before that as ...

Bushra Bibi Bushra Bibi (born 1970s) is a Pakistani faith healer and politician. She is married to Imran Khan who was the prime minister of Pakistan from 2018 to 2022. Early life Bushra Bibi was born in Pakpattan, located 250 km southwest of Lahor ...

, and her close friend Farah Khan. Malik Riaz allegedly gave up the land for the construction of an educational institution in exchange for legal protection for the monies he had.

Investigation and charges

The Al-Qadir Trust case was the subject of an investigation by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), which focused on claims of the abuse of authority in the process of retrieving monies from the UK crime agency. After significant evidence surfaced, the investigation subsequently developed into a full-fledged inquiry. The case has implicated Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi, Barrister Shahzad Akbar, and Malik Riaz as suspects. Allegations against them include accepting unauthorised advantages in the form of land for the construction of Al-Qadir University, modifying cash supplied by the NCA to the Pakistani government, and allegedly providing legal protection for the money of the property tycoon.

Reactions

In January 2025, Sayed Zulfiqar Bukhari, a close aide to Imran Khan, claimed he was pressured to testify against the former prime minister in the Al-Qadir Trust case. In an interview with ''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...

'', Bukhari alleged threats to his family, loss of property, and financial pressure, alongside offers of leniency, which he refused. He described the case—centered on the repatriation of £190 million from the UK—as politically motivated and lacking evidence of personal gain. Imran Khan, speaking from prison, confirmed Bukhari’s claims.

Legal actions

On 9 May 2023, Rangers officers detained Imran Khan outside the

Islamabad High Court The Islamabad High Court (IHC) is the senior court of the Islamabad Capital Territory, Pakistan, with appellate jurisdiction over the following District courts of Pakistan, district courts: * Islamabad District Court (East) * Islamabad Distr ...

, where he had gone to request bail in a number of cases brought against him, including the Al-Qadir Trust case. On 11 May, though, the Supreme Court ruled that his arrest was unlawful and ordered his release. Imran Khan was granted interim release by the Islamabad High Court in the Al-Qadir Trust case for a period of two weeks, and the court also prohibited arresting him in any other case until 15 May. Imran Khan was arrested by NAB on 13 November 2023. Bushra was also interrogated. On 1 December 2023, NAB filed the reference in Accountablity court against them. The couple were indicted on 27 February 2024. On 15 May 2024, Imran Khan was granted bail by the Islamabad High Court. On 17 January 2025, Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi were convicted. Khan was sentenced for 14 years and Bibi for seven years in prison.

References

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