What is Al-Qadir Trust case?

The Al-Qadir Trust case is a corruption case in Pakistan that involves former Prime Minister Imran Khan, his wife Bushra Bibi, and their close aides Zulfiqar Bukhari and Babar Awan. The case alleges that Khan and his associates misused their powers to illegally acquire land worth billions of rupees from a real estate tycoon in return for giving legal cover to the tycoon's black money.

The case began in 2019, when the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) of Pakistan launched an investigation into the alleged misuse of powers by the PTI government in the recovery of “dirty money” received from the UK crime agency. The investigation found that Khan and his associates had struck a deal with the real estate tycoon, Malik Riaz, to give legal cover to his black money in return for illegally acquiring land worth billions of rupees.

The deal between Khan and Riaz is alleged to have taken place in 2019, when the PTI government was in power. At the time, the UK had seized assets worth £190 million from Riaz's family. Khan's government agreed to release the assets if Riaz agreed to invest £150 million in Pakistan. As part of the deal, Riaz also agreed to donate 458 kanals of land to the Al-Qadir Trust, a charity that Khan and his wife had set up.

The NAB investigation found that the deal between Khan and Riaz was illegal. The investigation also found that Khan and his associates had used their powers to illegally acquire the land from Riaz.

In 2022, the NAB filed a corruption reference against Khan, Bibi, Bukhari, and Awan in the Accountability Court of Islamabad. The reference accused the accused of misusing their powers, awarding contracts to their friends and relatives, and illegally acquiring land worth billions of rupees.

The case is still ongoing, and Khan and his associates have denied all the allegations against them. However, the case has been a major political scandal in Pakistan, and it has damaged Khan's reputation.

The Al-Qadir Trust case is just one of several corruption cases that have been filed against Khan and his associates since he was ousted from power in April 2022. The cases have been seen by many as an attempt by the current government to target Khan and his supporters. Khan has denied all the allegations against him, and he has accused the current government of being politically motivated.

The Al-Qadir Trust case is a complex and politically sensitive case. It is still ongoing, and it is unclear how it will be resolved. However, the case has already had a significant impact on Pakistani politics. It has damaged Khan's reputation, and it has raised questions about the rule of law in Pakistan.