Imran Khan was arrested on Tuesday (9) by an anti-graft agency on corruption charges. Government officials alleged that Khan and his wife received land worth millions of dollars as a bribe from a real estate tycoon through a charitable trust.
Khan and his aides have denied any wrongdoing. The developer has denied the charges in the past but he could not be contacted on Wednesday and his company's marketing manager did not respond to a request for fresh comment.
Below are some facts about the trust and the land acquisition.
What is Al-Qadir Trust?
Al-Qadir Trust is a non-governmental welfare organization set up by Bushra Watto, Khan's third wife, and Khan in 2018 when he was still in office. While prime minister, Khan promoted the trust at official events.
The couple are the sole trustees, according to Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar.
What does the Trust do?
The trust runs a university outside Islamabad devoted to spirituality and Islamic teachings, a project inspired by the former first lady, who is also commonly known as Bushra Bibi and has a reputation as a spiritual healer.
Khan has publicly described her as his spiritual leader and said she helped guide him towards a spiritual path.
What is the corruption case?
Home minister Rana Sanaullah told a press conference on Tuesday that the trust was a front for Khan to receive valuable land as a bribe from a real estate developer, Malik Riaz Hussain, who is one of Pakistan's richest and most powerful businessmen.
The anti-graft agency that arrested Khan had summoned Hussain late last year to submit answers on the land donated to the trust.
The trust has nearly 60 acres of land worth seven billion Pakistani rupees ($24.7 million) and another large piece of land in Islamabad close to Khan's hilltop home, the minister said.
The 60-acre parcel in Punjab state's Jhelum districtis the official site of the university but very little has been built there.
Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb also raised questions about donations given for operations of the under-construction institution.
"The trust received 180 million rupee ($635,144.67) for operational expenses, but records showed only 8.52 million rupees" on the books, she said in a statement issued late on Tuesday night.
How was the bribe alleged to have worked?
The government said the scheme originated with 190 million pounds repatriated to Pakistan in 2019 by Britain after Hussain forfeited cash and assets to settle a British probe into whether they were proceeds of crime.
It says instead of putting it in Pakistan's treasury, Khan's government used the money to pay fines levied by a court against Hussain for illegal acquisition of government lands at below-market value for development in Karachi.
The interior minister alleged Hussain gave the land in Jhelum and Islamabad to Al-Qadir Trust in exchange for that favour.
(Reuters)
Moglai Bap and Mo Chara of Kneecap perform at Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset, Britain, June 28, 2025. REUTERS/Jaimi Joy
Police may probe anti-Israel comments at Glastonbury
BRITISH police said they were considering whether to launch an investigation after performers at Glastonbury Festival made anti-Israel comments during their shows.
"We are aware of the comments made by acts on the West Holts Stage at Glastonbury Festival this afternoon," Avon and Somerset Police, in western England, said on X late on Saturday (28).
Irish hip-hop group Kneecap and punk duo Bob Vylan made anti-Israeli chants in separate shows on the West Holts stage on Saturday. One of the members of Bob Vylan chanted "Death, death, to the IDF" in a reference to the Israel Defense Forces.
"Video evidence will be assessed by officers to determine whether any offences may have been committed that would require a criminal investigation," the police statement said.
The Israeli Embassy in Britain said it was "deeply disturbed by the inflammatory and hateful rhetoric expressed on stage at the Glastonbury Festival".
Prime minister Keir Starmer said earlier this month it was "not appropriate" for Kneecap to appear at Glastonbury.
The band's frontman Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh was charged with a terrorism offence last month for allegedly displaying a flag in support of Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah at a concert in November. He has denied the charge.
A British government minister said it was appalling that the anti-Israel chants had been made at Glastonbury, and that the festival's organisers and the BBC broadcaster - which is showing the event - had questions to answer.
Health secretary Wes Streeting said he was also appalled by violence committed by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank.
"I'd also say to the Israeli Embassy, get your own house in order in terms of the conduct of your own citizens and the settlers in the West Bank," Streeting told Sky News.
"I wish they'd take the violence of their own citizens towards Palestinians more seriously," he said.
(Reuters)