Edited By: Shankhyaneel Sarkar
Last Updated: March 06, 2023, 12:29 IST
Imran Khan’s close associate, Farhat Shahzadi (L), was earlier in news due to her lavish lifestyle but the FIA is now probing her increase in wealth during PTI’s tenure (Image: Reuters/GeoTV)
Farhat Shahzadi, also known as Farah Khan, acquired several companies in the UK and bought lands in Pakistan at subsidised rates
Farhat Shahzadi, a close friend of Bushra Bibi, former first lady of Pakistan and Imran Khan’s third wife, saw her personal wealth rise exponentially when he was in power, Pakistan-based news media outlets reported.
Pakistan-based news media outlets said Farhat Shahzadi and her family expanded their businesses abroad during the tenure of the Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government. They acquired four companies which deal in the real estate sector.
Most of the companies owned by the Shahzadis in the UK are registered under the name of Musarat Khan, Farhat Shahzadi’s sister. Farhat aka Farah Khan/Farah Gogi and her husband Ahsan Iqbal Jamil are currently abroad and they face serious allegations of corruption.
The former prime minister defended them by saying that Farhat and Ahsan were attacked because of their ties to him.
However, a report by the News International said Farah Khan and her husband acquired a company, Black Apple Investments Limited, in November 2021, for money laundering purposes.
They have refuted the allegations and the Pakistan Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has lodged a case against her under the Anti-Money Laundering Act and the government has said they will be brought back to the country with the help of Interpol. They have also previously acquired another UK-based company, Goldstar Euro Limited, in 2020.
The News International in its report pointed out that Farah’s wealth increased by over four times from 2018 onwards.
The report also pointed out that the Shahzadis’ have acquired companies like DMK Enterprises Limited, Dayyan Enterprises Limited, Maximum M K Tradings Ltd and DKhans Constructions Limited and these companies’ statements show an inflow of money in the form of remittances in Farah Khan, Ahsan Iqbal Jamil and Musarat Khan’s accounts but there is no outflow.
This sparked the interest of authorities along with the fact that within the first three years of Imran Khan’s government Farah’s declared assets reached PKR 971 million in 2021 from PKR 231 million.
The FIA is probing how Farhat Shahzadi acquired an industrial plot of 10.3 acres for the Al Muez Dairy in the Faisalabad Industrial Zone at a subsidised rate along with these cases.
Their availing of the Tax Amnesty Scheme 2019 during Imran Khan’s government where they declared PKR 328.7 million and PKR 20 million is also being probed.
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