ISLAMABAD, Jan 28 (APP): Senator Irfan ul Haq Siddiqui, parliamentary leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) in the Senate, claimed on Tuesday that the Al-Qadir Trust has been non-existent for the past four and a half years, having existed for only eight months.
In his weekly column, he revealed that Farah Gogi, a friend of Bushra Bibi received 240 kanals of land and noted that the government failed to register the trust after the Islamabad Trust Act was introduced in 2020. He also highlighted that the trust has remained dormant during this period.
The Al-Qadir University Project Trust was officially registered on December 26, 2019. However, in April 2019, Bahria Town had already transferred 458 kanals, 4 marlas, and 58 square feet of land in Sohawa to Zulfi Bukhari.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Founder Imran Khan had also laid the foundation stone for the university on this land on May 5, 2019. The land was only transferred to the trust’s name well after its registration.
Senator Irfan Siddiqui stated that Imran Khan contributed only Rs 50,000 to the trust, while Bahria Town deposited Rs 285 million into its bank account.
Irfan Siddiqui mentioned that in the ‘Trust Deed,’ Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi, Zulfi Bukhari, and Babar Awan were appointed as the initial trustees. However, four months later, Imran Khan, in his role as chairman, removed Zulfi Bukhari and Babar Awan from the trustee list. After which, only Imran and Bushra Bibi remained as trustees, taking full control of the trust’s affairs.
According to Irfan Siddiqui, in July 2020, Ali Riaz Malik of Bahria Town transferred 240 kanals and 6 marlas of land in Bani Gala to Farah Gogi, a close friend of Bushra Bibi, even though the trust was still operational at that time.
In August 2020, the Imran Khan government unexpectedly amended the 1882 Trust Act and introduced the Islamabad Trust Act 2020. The new act mandated that all trusts registered in Islamabad must re-register under the new law within six months, or their registration would be revoked.
Senator Irfan Siddiqui stated that, unexpectedly, the Al-Qadir Trust was not registered under the new Trust Act and was thus deactivated and suspended by law on August 26, 2020, remaining in this state until the ouster of Imran Khan’s government.
In 2023, when NAB initiated an inquiry into the £190 million case, efforts were made to register the Al-Qadir University Trust under the Islamabad Trust Act and Charity Act. However, NAB informed the relevant authorities that a corruption investigation was ongoing against both trustees, preventing the trust’s registration.
Irfan Siddiqui stated that the Al-Qadir Trust was active for only eight months and is now inactive, with its assets and funds controlled by Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi.
In his column, he highlighted a recent Accountability Court ruling that declared the trust a fraudulent entity, established to enable bribes and kickbacks in return for granting £171 million to Bahria Town.