Imran Khan, sister summoned in land corruption scandal

The Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) of Pakistan's Punjab has summoned the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, his sister Uzma Khan and her husband Ahad Majeed in the Layyah land corruption case, media reported.

According to a notification issued by the spokesperson, the PTI chief has been asked to appear before the ACE headquarters on June 19 whereas Uzma and her husband have been asked to present themselves before the ACE Director General.

Earlier, Imran was summoned by the ACE on June 16 but he did not appear before it. The summon was affixed at Imran's Lahore Zaman Park residence.

The spokesperson maintained that the ACE had "clear evidence" of Imran's involvement in the Layyah corruption scandal, adding that pressure was exerted on revenue officials from Bani Gala �- Imran's residence in Islamabad -- for illegal transfer of land, Express Tribune reported.

Uzma is accused of alleged fraud in purchase of 5,261-kanal of land in Layyah district, reportedly worth billions of rupees, for a mere Rs 130 million. The ACE said that an FIR had been registered against the couple.

According to the spokesperson, the land was bought in 2021-22 through fraud, adding that Uzma and Majeed made a fake transfer of the land on their names.

He said the marker value of the land was about Rs six billion. The purchase, he added, was made when the ADB announced aid for the Greater Thal Canal project, which aimed at irrigating the barren lands through Thal canal.

The spokesperson said Uzma had prior knowledge of the project, so the couple forced the landowner to sell it to them. He added that the land owners had filed complaints against Uzma and others to the police for forcibly buying the land, Express Tribune reported.