ISLAMABAD: Former Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Overseas Pakistanis, Zulfiqar Abbas Bukhari, had reportedly left the country for Dubai.
Bukhari departed for Dubai from Islamabad International Airport (IIA) on a chartered flight in the wee of Saturday. He was accompanied by three other people., while the purpose of the visit is not known.
It should be recalled that Bukhari had resigned from his post on May 17 after his name was referenced in the Ring Road scam inquiry report for giving benefit to a housing scheme.
Taking to Twitter, the former SAPM had written that resigned from the post as PM Imran Khan has always maintained that a person named in an inquiry should resign from public office till they are cleared of the charges.
The former SAPM, who is a close confidante of PM Imran Khan, reiterated that he had nothing to do with Rawalpindi Ring Road or any ongoing real estate project in the country.
He urged that the inquiry should be done by capable personnel and backed the idea of the judicial commission for the project.
“I’m here to stay in Pakistan and stand united with the prime minister and his vision. I sacrificed my life overseas to come and serve my country, I am ready to face any inquiry,” he said.
Days later, Bukhari had said that he resigned from his post out of his free will, adding that his name should be added to the Exit Control List (ECL) if someone fears he would flee the country.
Speaking to a private channel, he said that had his name not been referenced in the inquiry report, he would not have tendered his resignation.
Zulfi said the report mentions the name of Dr Tauqeer Shah, who is his mother’s first cousin and works for the government. He said that Dr Tauqeer Shah was Shehbaz Sharif’s principal secretary in 2017.
Zulfi said that he wants the government to form a judicial commission to probe the Ring Road scandal and has already requested Prime Minister Imran Khan regarding the matter, adding that it makes no difference to him as to who would conduct the inquiry.
“My name should be entered into the Exit Control List (ECL) if someone fears I’d flee. I am not going anywhere. The inquiry should be completed,” he said.
He said that he was first an overseas Pakistan and chose to become a local Pakistani later, adding that Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz, and Shehbaz Sharif are the ones who want to flee the country.
When questioned about him owning property in Pakistan, Bukhari said that he owns a property development business in England but he or his family does not own property anywhere near Ring Road.
