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SAYED Zulfiqar Bukhari, a close aide of Imran Khan, has claimed he faced immense pressure to testify against the former prime minister in the Al-Qadir Trust corruption case.
Speaking to The Independent, Zulfi Bukhari claimed authorities offered him lucrative deals, but he refused.
“Anybody whose name is involved in this case was offered all sorts of deals (to testify) against Imran Khan. Luckily, none of them took that offer — not the businessman, not myself,” said Mr Bukhari, who currently serves as the PTI founder’s international media adviser and is based in London since he fled Pakistan after a crackdown.
The Al-Qadir Trust case is centred around the alleged misuse of £190m that was repatriated from UK via the National Crime Agency, to benefit property tycoon Malik Riaz. Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi were convicted last week, receiving sentences of 14 and seven years respectively.
Mr Bukhari described the pressure he faced, stating, “From kidnapping family members, destroying homes, businesses, blocking bank accounts, stripping me of all my land… no pressure tactic was left. It was a two-pronged attack — carrot and a stick.”
He argued that the case is politically motivated and lacks evidence of financial gain. “The £190m… is sitting with the Supreme Court of Pakistan. That money is actually earning interest… this whole narrative… is absolute rubbish,” he said.
Imran Khan, speaking from Adiala Jail, confirmed that Bukhari was offered deals to testify, but refused. “This has resulted in his business being destroyed, family members displaced,” the publication quoted Mr Khan as saying.
Bukhari also told The Independent that was added as a defendant in the case after refusing to appear in court, citing fears of arrest.
Published in Dawn, January 22th, 2025
