Imran Khan’s university got undue favours in cash and land: Khawaja Asif

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif on Monday announced to hold investigations into undue favours given to the Abdul Qadar University in terms of cash and land.

Speaking on the floor of the National Assembly, he said that former prime minister Imran Khan, his wife and wife’s friend namely Ms Farah are the trustees of the university.The minister said that favours of Rs500 million cash and 450 kanals of land were given for the university whereas Ms Farah was also given 200 kanals of land. “We also ask Imran Khan to explain these favours,” he said.

He said that only 32 students of Management Sciences were studying in the university’s department, which is affiliated with the Government College University. He said the Abdul Qadar University was basically established, as Imran Khan himself used to say, for imparting spiritual education.

The defence minister told the House that Imran Khan received these benefits in terms of cash and land for giving alleged undue favour of Rs45 billion to the owner of a housing scheme. He said that the National Crime Agency (NCI) of the UK detected 150 million pounds (Rs45 billion) unexplained or laundered money owned by the owner of Bahria Town in the UK.

“This amount as told to Public Accounts Committee (PAC) by NAB has been shown as recovery,” he said. He said the amount was remitted to the Pakistan government but at behest of then Prime Minister Imran Khan, the amount was adjusted against the fine imposed by the Supreme Court of Pakistan on the owner of the housing scheme.

He said the UK government, along with cancelling visas of owner of the housing scheme, also banned his entry in the UK for 10 years. He told the House that the Pakistan government would also take up matter with the UK authorities.

Khawaja Asif told the House that the decision about appointment of chairman of the PAC would be taken in the next few days. As per the traditions, he said the PAC chairman is taken from the opposition parties.

Meanwhile, the Minister for Power Khurrum Dastagir Khan informed the National Assembly that 21,500 megawatt of electricity was produced on Monday, which was more than the demand.

He was responding to a calling attention notice moved by Ms Aliya Kamran and others regarding unannounced power loadshedding in Balochistan. The minister said the government believes in providing electricity to all the provinces without any discrimination.

He said there is a zero loadshedding on feeders with 80 percent recovery and fewer losses. He expressed the commitment to provide maximum electricity to Balochistan. He said directions have already been given to the distribution companies that electricity should not be disrupted on technical grounds. He, however, said the government was facing resource constraints in providing uninterrupted electricity due to mismanagement of the previous government. (The News)