Defense Minister Khawaja Asif Refutes Claims About 190 Million Pounds in Supreme Court Account
Defense Minister Khawaja Asif has strongly denied the claims that 190 million pounds have been deposited into the Supreme Court’s account, describing these assertions as a complete lie. He accused Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) members of spreading false information.
In a post on the social media platform *X*, Khawaja Asif stated, “PTI members are claiming that 190 million pounds have been deposited into the Supreme Court’s account. This is a blatant lie and the ignorance of the ‘youthias’ (PTI supporters).”
He further explained that the land on which Karachi’s Bahria Town was built originally belonged to the Sindh government and was sold at a nominal price to Malik Riaz. The Supreme Court had estimated that the state had been defrauded of hundreds of billions due to the deal.
Khawaja Asif clarified that the Supreme Court had made a decision regarding this amount, and a loan account worth several hundred billion rupees was created in the name of Bahria Town, which Malik Riaz is responsible for settling.
The Minister accused former Prime Minister Imran Khan of manipulating the situation by using the 190 million pounds received from London to adjust Bahria Town’s debts. He claimed that the funds were approved by the Cabinet through a secretive process, and in exchange, land and cash were transferred to the Al-Qadir Trust along with other questionable dealings.
It is worth noting that a reference regarding the 190 million pounds involving PTI founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi has been under trial. The final hearing of the case took place in Adiala Jail on December 18, with the court reserving its judgment after the completion of arguments by both parties’ lawyers. The trial, which lasted for a year, involved testimony from 35 witnesses recorded by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
