Former minister reveals PM's role in NCA £190m deal

A new report has revealed that former Prime Minister Imran Khan approved a controversial deal with the UK's National Crime Agency (NCA) to settle a £190m asset recovery case, despite strong objections from some cabinet members, reported 24NewsHD TV channel Saturday.

The report, based on the statements of former Federal Minister Zubaidah Jalal and other cabinet members who joined the NAB investigation, said that Khan ignored the reservations and insisted on granting approval without any discussion or deliberation.

Zubaidah Jalal told the NAB team that she had demanded an investigation into the matter, as the £190m was an asset of Pakistan and should be returned.

She also said that she had urged Khan to talk to the NCA about taking back the issue, but he did not listen to anyone. The report also revealed that the agenda and the minutes of the cabinet meeting were kept confidential, and that the deal was approved without going into further details.

The NCA deal, which was announced in December 2019, involved the return of £190m in frozen funds to Pakistan, in exchange for dropping a money laundering investigation against a Pakistani businessman.