Imran calls corruption cases against close family friend "political vendetta"

Islamabad: Ousted Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan on Sunday rejected the corruption probe against Farah Khan, a close friend of his wife Bushra Bibi, by the country's anti-corruption watchdog as ''political vendetta''.

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) is investigating Farah for possessing illegal assets beyond known sources of income, money laundering, and maintaining various accounts in the name of businesses.

''I want to ask NAB: the case that you have opened against Farah Khan - show it to anyone. Does this even merit a case?'' the former prime minister said.

Khan rejected the probe, saying Farah was ''absolutely innocent'' and it was ''political vendetta''.

He said the current Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) government was targeting him and his wife in the guise of moving against Farah. Farah Khan, also known as 'Farah Gogi' and 'Farhat Shehzadi', was considered extremely powerful during Imran Khan's tenure as prime minister as she was known as the only person to have direct access to Bushra Bibi - Khan's spiritual guide and third wife married in 2018. Early last month, Farah left for Dubai following reports that she could be arrested if a new government is installed in Pakistan.

Her husband Ahsan Jamil Gujjar had already left for the US.

The Opposition alleged Farah received huge sums of money for getting officers transferred and posted according to their choices, calling the scam the “mother of all scandals” amounting to 6 billion Pakistani rupees (USD 32 million).

Maryam Nawaz, the Pakistan Muslim League (N) vice president and deposed premier Nawaz Sharif's daughter, claimed Farah did these corrupt dealings at the behest of Imran Khan and his wife.

In recent TV interviews, Khan has claimed that the new government would launch a character assassination campaign against him and his wife.

Khan, 69, the country’s 22nd prime minister, was unceremoniously removed from office through a no-confidence vote, becoming the first premier in Pakistan's history to be ousted through a no-trust motion.

PML-N leaser Shehbaz Sharif assumed the office of the prime minister on April 11. The term of the current House ends in August, 2023.