ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has sought bank and property records of Farah Khan, a close friend of former prime minister Imran Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi, from various departments in the assets beyond means case.
The anti-corruption watchdog last month authorised an inquiry against Farah for accumulating “illegal assets beyond known sources of income, money laundering, and maintaining various accounts in the name of businesses”.
Media reported on Tuesday that the NAB Lahore bureau has sought records of the accused property from the deputy commissioners of different districts.
NAB also sent letters to the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) and the excise department, seeking details of her accounts and banking transactions.
Earlier, NAB issued a statement saying that a huge turnover amounting to Rs847 million was found in Farah’s account during the last three years.
It added that the amount did not commensurate with her stated account profile.
“These credits were received in her personal account and withdrawn immediately after credit within a short time period,” it stated.
The anti-graft body further said in a review of Farah’s income tax returns that her assets had “significantly increased” from 2018 onwards “for unknown reasons”.
“Moreover, she has been frequently travelling to foreign jurisdictions; nine times to the US and six times to the UAE.”
Amid the allegations, Farah had left for Dubai on April 5.
Farah’s Advisor defends
Asad Rasool — who is a tax adviser to former first lady Bushra Bibi’s friend Farah Khan — has termed all the allegations levelled against his client “baseless and false”.
Speaking at a press conference, Advocate Rasool said all of Farah Khan’s financial matters — which are being made part of controversy — took place before Usman Buzdar became the chief minister of Punjab. “Therefore, all the allegations against her are false,” he added.
He said that Farah’s wealth did not increase four times during the previous government’s tenure. “Till June 30, 2018, her assets were worth Rs700 million,” added Rasool.
Rasool further said he will answer if there are any legal queries, however, he will not answer any political questions.
Earlier, PML-N’s leader Ataullah Tarar had said that Farah Gogi “looted the people of Punjab for three years” and former prime minister Imran Khan benefitted Farah with Rs320 million through the Tax Amnesty Scheme 2019.
Punjab Police guarded Farah Khan’s residence for over three years without reason
Punjab Police officials were posted outside the Lahore residence of Farah Khan, for over three years, even though neither Khan nor her husband held a public office during that period.
The cops were posted outside her home, in the upscale Defence area of Lahore, first in September 2018 — a month after Imran Khan was elected as the prime minister — a police officer who was on duty there confirmed while speaking on the condition of anonymity.
The security detail was only pulled last month, on the first of Ramadan, he added.
He further told media that the men in uniform were ordered to work in three shifts, eight hours each, to ensure the home was protected 24 hours. Four cops were deployed per shift, meaning 12 police officers and three police vehicles were dedicated to her home.
