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Thursday March 28, 2024

Money-laundering case: Sindh govt unwilling to shift Anwar, son out of province

By Imdad Soomro
December 17, 2018

KARACHI: The Sindh government is reluctant to send alleged money launderer father and son -- Anwar Majeed and his son Abdul Ghani Majeed -- to Islamabad despite Supreme Court (SC) orders.

Both are said to be close associates of former president Asif Ali Zardari.

On November 17, Supreme Court of Pakistan directed shifting father Anwar Majeed to Pakistan Institute of Medical Science (Pims), Islamabad from National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD), Karachi due to his poor health condition and his son Abdul Ghani Majeed to Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail. At the time of passing said order, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Mian Saqib Nisar observed that shifting was being made for fair trial of the case.

But Sindh government did not send Anwar Majeed to the Pims, Islamabad and informed the top court that due to his serious health condition, he was unable to be shifted to Islamabad from Karachi, however his son AG Majeed who was earlier shifted to Rawalpindi but when he shifted to Karachi for his hearing at banking court, he was shifted to Malir District Prison instead of sending back to Adiala Jail.

Adiala Jail Superintendent wrote a letter to Karachi Range Court Police Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) requesting him to shift back under trial prisoner Abdul Ghani Majeed after he is presented in court. “Please refer to the Government of Punjab Home Department letter No SO (Judl-II) 4-16(3)/2018 dated 5.12.2018 and Government of Sindh Home Department Karachi No. HD(PRS-II)3-243/2018 dated 5.12.2018, the under-trial prisoner was handed over to police guard comprising Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Azam Durrani in pursuance of above-referred letters for production before the learned court of Judge Special Banking Court-III Karachi on 6-12-2018 vide your letter No. SSP/CP/RDR/8165-70/2018 dated 4.12.2018”, according to the content of official letter copy available with The News.

“The said under trial prisoner has been admitted to Karachi Malir District Prison by Karachi court police after court production instead of shifting him back to Adiala Jail without any orders of competent authority or the learned trial court, which is a clear violation of directions contained in above-quoted reference of government of Punjab Home Department”, the official letter adds.

The letter further says: “It is worth mentioning here that the said under trial prisoner was admitted to this prison by the orders dated 17.11.2018 of the august Supreme Court of Pakistan, Islamabad vide Human Rights Case No 392 16-G of 2018 and retention of the said under-trial prisoner in any other jail except Adiala Jail would be considered contemptuous. You are therefore requested to make necessary arrangements to shift back the said prisoner to this prison immediately. The matter may be considered most urgent.”