Body formed to probe claims Imran was bribed to 'protect' real estate firm.

ISLAMABAD -- The federal cabinet on Tuesday constituted a committee to probe the alleged involvement of former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra in obtaining billions of rupees from a real estate firm for legalising a laundered amount of Rs50 billion that was identified and returned to the country by the UK during the previous PTI government.

This was revealed in the cabinet meeting presided over by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

In a post-cabinet meeting press conference, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah accused Mr Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi of accepting Rs5bn and hundreds of kanals from Bahria Town in exchange for protecting the firm in a money laundering case.

'Bahria Town had illegally transferred Rs50bn to a Pakistani national in the UK who was caught by the British National Crime Agency (NCA), which subsequently informed the then PTI government about the laundered money,' he added.

Sana claims ex-PM, wife took Rs5bn, land from Bahria Town for legalising laundered amount returned by UK

'Imran Khan tasked his frontman Shahzad Akbar with resolving the money laundering case. Akbar settled the entire case, and the Rs50bn, which was state property and belonged to the national treasury, was adjusted against Bahria Town's liability in a case being heard in the Supreme Court,' Sanaullah explained.

Former prime minister and PTI chairman Imran Khan has repeatedly levelled allegations of money laundering against leaders of the PML-N and PPP; this is for the first time that he is facing similar accusations against himself and his wife.

Briefing the media along with Information and Broadcasting Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, Minister of State for Petroleum Dr Musadik Malik, Minister for Communications Asad Mahmood and Adviser to the PM on Kashmir Affairs Qamar Zaman Kaira, Rana Sana said the committee would thoroughly investigate the matter and depending on the findings, pursue the case accordingly.

He further said the 'so-called 'Sadiq' and 'Ameen' former premier' had got approval for an agreement in a cabinet meeting on Dec 3, 2019 without allowing its members to read it, even though some of them sought a clarification. The issue was also widely reported in the media, he added.

The interior minister claimed that Mr Khan had accepted a graft of Rs5bn as 'his share' through Akbar before the case was wrapped up.

'The federal cabinet has formed a sub-committee to investigate the scandal and deal with it as per the law. The case did not...