Mirza Shahzad Akbar, ex special assistant PM, in-charge of Assets Recovery Unit . In a twitter thread Akbar explains the background of the deal between UK National Crime Agency and Malik Riaz Hussein
Recent allegations made by the PDM government and the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) regarding the NCA (National Crime Agency) settlement and its connection to the State of Pakistan have sparked controversy and misinformation. However, a comprehensive analysis of the facts, presented in a Twitter thread by Former Advisor to Prime Minister and Lawyer Mirza Shahzad Akhtar, sheds light on the truth behind these claims. The thread debunked the misinformation and present an accurate account of the NCA settlement, emphasizing the lack of evidence and the mischievous intentions of NAB in targeting the former Prime Minister, Imran Khan.
The allegation that the NCA agreed to return the funds to the State of Pakistan but that they were fraudulently repatriated by Prime Minister Imran Khan’s cabinet for the benefit of Malik Riaz (BTPL). Contrary to these claims, the factual position, as explained in the Twitter thread, reveals a different scenario.
Account Freezing Orders (AFOs) were initially procured by the NCA based on suspicion, and the account holders, the Malik Family, challenged the freezing orders and initiated the process of lifting the AFOs. Subsequently, the NCA and the account holders reached a civil ‘Settlement Agreement,’ leading to the removal of AFOs by court order.
The Settlement Agreement was an independent transaction between the account holders and the NCA. The Government of Pakistan or the Asset Recovery Unit (ARU) were not parties to the agreement and did not designate any account. The designated Supreme Court of Pakistan account mentioned in the settlement agreement was directly designated by the account holders.
The Government of Pakistan, having assisted the NCA in its inquiry, was required to sign an undertaking for the confidentiality of the settlement matter between the NCA and the account holders. However, NAB’s case is based on the false premise that the federal cabinet or the ARU approved the settlement agreement or fraudulently designated the Supreme Court account for fund transmission, which is debunked as untrue.
National Crime Agency (NCA) had already clarified these facts to NAB officials in 2022. However, due to the malafide intentions of NAB and the opposition PDM regime’s agenda against Prime Minister Imran Khan, a fictitious case is being constructed. It became evident that the misinformation being spread lacks evidence and aims to target Prime Minister Imran Khan unjustly. It is crucial to critically analyze such claims to maintain accuracy and transparency in public discourse.
