Imran’s ‘aide’ arrested in money laundering case: FIA

ISLAMABAD: The Anti-Money Laundering Cell (AMLC) of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has busted an internally active racket involved in the illegal business of money laundering based in Lahore and arrested two members of the gang.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s aide Iftikhar Rasool Ghumman is one of the arrested persons, said FIA officials wishing not to be named.

According to the FIA officials, Ghumman was running a fake international money-laundering network along with Qaisar Mushtaq and Asim Hussain.

They said the entire network had been exposed and the people engaged in money laundering through Hundi and Hawala rounded up, adding that the racket was involved in transferring billions of rupees to different countries through illegal ways. The racket was using more than 40 fake companies for transferring money to other countries.

PTI sources said Ghumman was a credible party leader and was running established international business in different countries, and that he was authrorised to take care of the imports and exports on behalf of the party. A notification (No CS/CO/078/2020) was issued with the signatures of PTI Chief Organiser Saifullah Khan Nyazee on September 30, 2020.

Condemning the arrest, PTI Chairman Imran Khan said people close to him were being harassed, abducted and tortured.

In his tweets, Imran said: “When Ali Amin was abducted, the DPO told sessions judge in DIK [Dera Ismail Khan][ that he would take a contempt charge but had to take custody of Ali Amin as orders came from above.

“Today, my security in-charge Iftikhar Ghumman has been abducted. This is all part of London Plan where Nawaz Shari was given assurances PTI would be crushed.

“So now people close to me, along with my leadership, are being harassed, abducted, tortured & confronted with sham cases across Pakistan in total violation of the Constitution & Rule of Law.”

PTI Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry also condemned Ghumman’s arrest. He said that vengeful actions were being taken against PTI leaders and workers. He claimed that Imran Khan’s security in-charge was “abducted in a fake case”.