NAB starts inquiry against Farah Khan over money laundering allegations

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LAHORE, MAY 08 (DNA) — The Lahore National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has launched an investigation against former First Lady Bushra Imran’s close friend Farah Khan over allegations of amassing assets beyond her known sources of income and alleged money laundering.

The NAB will scrutinize the benefits Khan availed as a spouse of a public office holder. The inquiry was authorized last month in a meeting held at the bureau’s headquarters.

The bureau had issued directives to the Lahore NAB director general to conduct the inquiry into the allegations of accumulating assets beyond means, money laundering and maintaining various accounts against Khan.

According to a NAB press release issued after the meeting, “huge turnover amounting to Rs847m has been found in her account during the last 3 years, which does not commensurate with her stated account profile.”

The press release added that the money was received and by Khan in her personal account and withdrawn immediately. “While reviewing the income tax returns of Farhat Shahzadi (alias Farah Khan), it was allegedly observed that her assets significantly increased from the year 2018 onwards for unknown reasons,” read the press release.

Earlier, media reports said that Farah Khan’s wealth jumped four times under Imran Khan, according to the documents she submitted with the Election Commission of Pakistan when she became PTI’s covering candidate for Senate elections in 2021.

Her wealth increased after former Prime Minister Imran Khan appointed Usman Buzdar as Punjab chief minister.  Earlier this week, it was revealed that Khan was transferred, in her name, Islamabad real estates worth billions of rupee from the son of a property tycoon. 

Separately, the excise department records showed Khan and her husband Ahsan Jameel Gujjar own as many as 19 vehicles, including the two most expensive Porsche.  According to the excise department, 12 vehicles were registered in the name of Khan, while seven sedan cars under the name of Gujjar.

The federal government has initiated the legal process to bring back to Pakistan from Dubai.  Government sources on Thursday claimed that a probe has also been launched to dig up bank account details of four people employed at the PTI Central Secretariat while Imran Khan’s tax returns and sources of income will also undergo scrutiny.

Sources said that officials believe Farah Khan’s presence is necessary to investigate certain corruption cases. Khan has left the country last month after the then opposition levelled corruption allegations against her. =DNA