ISLAMABAD: Zulfi Bukhari a close friend and special assitant to prime minister on Saturday secretly left Pakistan for United Kingdom via Dubai.
Zulfi Bukhari’s slipping out of Pakistan when his role was surfacing in multi billion Rawalpindi Ring Road (RRR) scam has given birth to different conspiracy theories back in Pakistan.
Many in Islamabad see unannounced departure of Zulfi Bukhari as a cause rising infighting within Tehreek e Insaf (PTI) government.
“I do not know exact purpose of Zulfi’s departure to UK at this important juncture when PTI government is having challenges at different levels and its ranks need to show unity ” a senior PTI leader said in his comments on Zulfi’s unscheduled departure from Pakistan on the condition of mentioning his name.
Zulfi Bukhari is a longtime friend of the prime minister. He was assigned role of organising ex patriates Pakistanis by the PM and help them sort out their long outstanding issues.
Since taking his assignment in PTI government, Zulfi Bukhari has been in the centre of almost every scandal. You name Rawalpindi Ring Road scam or supply of manpower to any country in recent times, Zulfi Bukhari is there. His secret visits to UK have always been a source of different rumours in Pakistan. He had left Pakistan some months ago in the same fashion but later returned back on the advice of the prime minister.
Other than RRR massive scam that has rattled PTI government, Zulfi Bukhari is also facing corruption charges in other cases as well.
His Saturday’s departure is also going to bring criticism on Imran government as being an alleged character of RRR scam he was supposed to stay back in Pakistan and ensure his presence for a possible investigation against him in RRR scandal.