Shahzad 'misled' cabinet in Bahria Town settlement case, claims Vawda.

ISLAMABAD -- Faisal Vawda, a former leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), on Thursday accused former accountability czar Shahzad Akbar of misleading the PTI's federal cabinet in a case pertaining to the settlement by real estate tycoon Malik Riaz, causing a loss of 190 million pounds to the national exchequer.

In a press conference after his appAeAarance at the National AccountAabiAlity Bureau (NAB) in connection with the case, the former water resources minister claimed: 'The blunder was committed by the cabinet that was misled by Shahzad Akbar.'

He claimed that Mr Akbar must have gotten some 'benefit' for going ahead with the controversial 'deal' and added that such things never 'happen for free'. 'If you ask me technically [...] surely the Pakistan government and the treasury suffered a loss of APS190m. There are no two opinions on the matter,' he regretted.

The NAB had summoned 21 members of the federal cabinet of the former PTI government, including Faisal Vawda, on different dates to record their statements in the case of 190 million pounds that the cabinet had deposited as a liability of Malik Riaz set by the Supreme Court in a separate case.

Ex-senator says PTI chief surrounded by 'snakes' and 'worms'

'I also told Imran Khan that the decision of the cabinet had inflicted a loss of 190 million pounds on the natAional exchequer,' the ex-PTI leader said in reply to a question.

Mr Vawda claimed when Shehzad Akbar had briefed the cabinet on the matter, no debate or discussion was held nor were any official documents shown. 'I, Shireen Mazari, and Fawad [Chaudhry] had raised questions...but my questions used to hurt them a lot,' he recalled. 'A story was presented [...] and the way it was told, all the ministers and Imran accepted it and were satisfied with it,' he claimed.

'And the decisions taken in the cabinet are based on a majority [...] there are no signatures but an approval [...] and we were involved in that,' he said, alleging that Mr Akbar made the cabinet do the 'wrong thing' by 'misleading them'.

Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah had accused Mr Akbar, PTI Chairman Imran Khan, and his wife Bushra Bibi of accepting Rs5 billion and hundreds of kanals from the real estate tycoon in return for 'providing protection' to the real estate firm in the same case when the PTI was in power.

Mr...