Future Concern: FIA directed to arrest Asim Malik and his wife

They stand accused of defrauding 400 people by promising to send them abroad.

LAHORE:

The Lahore High Court on Wednesday directed the Federal Investigation Agency to arrest Asim Malik, chief executive of immigration consultancy firm Future Concern, and his wife Zobia Rubab Malik for allegedly depriving several people of billions of rupees by promising to send them abroad.

An FIA representative told the court that pursuant to court’s direction, 400 cases had been registered against the couple.

He said the couple had fled to England and the FIA had trouble arresting them because there was no treaty for exchange of suspects between Pakistan and England.

He said that the efforts to bring the couple to Pakistan were underway and said he hoped that they would be arrested soon.

Justice Syed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi directed the FIA to ensure their arrest and adjourned hearing till March 3.

More than 125 petitions have been filed against Malik and his wife. The petitioners have claimed that they had given them money to go abroad but had been defrauded. They said Malik had neither sent them abroad nor returned their money.

The judge earlier had ordered the Federal Investigation Authority to confiscate their assets and add Malik’s name to the exit control list.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 30^th, 2014.