Charges AGAINST MQM: JIT Contacts Sarafarz Merchant

ISLAMABAD:

The newly-formed Joint Investigation Team (JIT) on MQM concerning its alleged money laundering and links with the Indian spy agency, Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) formally started working on Thursday.

According to sources in the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), the JIT contacted Sarfaraz Merchant and asked him to appear before it. Sarfaraz Merchant stipulated that he be provided full security ahead of his appearance before the JIT. Merchant “may appear before the JIT next week”, they said.

JIT is headed by the head of FIA’s Counter Terrorism Wing Mazharul Haq Kakakhel while one of its members belongs to the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and the other two belong to the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) while Raja Tahir Iqbal is part of the investigation team on behalf of Sindh Rangers.

This JIT was notified by the Ministry of Interior on April 12 and its sole objective was to review the statement of Sarfaraz Merchant which he submitted to FIA personally.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 15^th, 2016.