Tuesday, a Pakistani anti-corruption agency detained former prime minister Imran Khan on corruption charges. Government officials alleged that Khan and his wife received millions of dollars worth of land through a charitable trust as a bribe from a real estate magnate.
Khan and his advisors have denied all allegations of malfeasance. The developer has previously denied the allegations, but he could not be reached on Wednesday and his company’s marketing director did not respond to a request for comment.
What exactly is Al-Qadir Trust?
Bushra Watto, Khan’s third wife, and Khan founded the non-governmental organization Al-Qadir Trust in 2018 while he was still in office.
As premier, Khan promoted the trust at official functions.
According to Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, the couple is the sole trustee.
What is the trust’s purpose?
The charity operates a university outside of Islamabad that focuses on spirituality and Islamic teachings, an initiative inspired by the former first lady, also known as Bushra Bibi and renowned as a spiritual healer.
Khan has referred to her as his spiritual leader and stated that she guided him along a spiritual path.
What is the case of corruption?
Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah stated at a press conference on Tuesday that the trust was a front for Khan to obtain valuable land as a bribe from one of Pakistan’s wealthiest and most powerful industrialists, Malik Riaz Hussain.
Late last year, the anti-corruption agency that arrested Khan had summoned Hussain to provide answers regarding the property donated to the trust.
According to the minister, the trust owns nearly 15 hectares of land valued at seven billion Pakistani rupees ($24.7 million) and another significant piece of property near Khan’s hilltop residence in Islamabad.
The 60-acre parcel in the Jhelum district of the state of Punjab is the university’s official location, but very little has been constructed there.
Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb also raised concerns regarding donations made for the institution’s operations while it was under construction.
“The trust received 180 million rupees ($635,144.67) for operational expenses, but the books only reflected 8.52 million rupees,” she said in a statement released late Tuesday night.
