Interpol drops case against Shahzad Akbar in Al-Qadir Trust matter

LONDON/LYON: The International Criminal Police Organisation has dropped its case against Shahzad Akbar in the high-profile Al-Qadir Trust matter, confirming that the former accountability chief is no longer subject to any Interpol notice or diffusion.

Interpol sources confirmed that Akbar, who served as accountability adviser to former prime minister Imran Khan, is no longer a subject of interest and that his details have been removed from Interpol’s database. The case had been registered at the request of Pakistan’s Interior Ministry.

The development comes weeks after Interpol cleared PTI leaders Moonis Elahi in cases involving murder and financial corruption allegations, and Zulfi Bukhari in both the Al-Qadir Trust case and the Judicial Complex attack case.

The Al-Qadir Trust case, also known as the £190 million case, revolves around allegations that Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi benefited from a settlement between the National Accountability Bureau and a private real estate entity owned by a prominent property tycoon. Under the settlement, funds returned to Pakistan by the UK’s National Crime Agency were allegedly adjusted against the entity’s liabilities, while land was later transferred to the Al-Qadir Trust established in the names of Khan and his wife.

In January last year, Khan was sentenced to 14 years in prison in the case, while Bushra Bibi received a seven-year sentence and was fined more than £2,000. PTI has maintained that the land was donated for a spiritual education centre and that Khan did not personally benefit.

Read More : Chief Commissioner reviews security, law and order arrangements in Islamabad

Sources said Akbar, through his lawyers, informed Interpol that the cases against him were politically motivated. He argued that the £190 million settlement was approved by the federal cabinet, that the funds were deposited in the state treasury, and that no evidence of personal enrichment or quid pro quo had been presented.

The case against Akbar was initiated around two years ago when Pakistan’s Interior Ministry sought a red notice and his extradition. Interpol, however, after reviewing the matter, found no grounds to proceed.

In a letter, Interpol informed Akbar that following a review, the information provided by Pakistan had been deleted from its system and confirmed that he is currently not subject to any Interpol notice or diffusion.

Observers say the latest Interpol decisions have reinforced concerns that political opponents are often targeted through legal cases when out of power, a pattern seen across different political tenures in Pakistan.