Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari leaves 10 Downing Street in central London, following a meeting with British Prime Minister David Cameron, on July 1, 2011. AFP PHOTO / BEN STANSALL
KARACHI: Hours ahead of former president Asif Ali Zardari's arrival in Karachi, Rangers raided multiple offices of his close aide Anwar Majid.
PPP co-chairman comes home today
Officials of the paramilitary force confiscated records and detained five office bearers after raids at Anwar Majid's offices located near II Chundrigar Road, Hockey Stadium and Hotel Metropole in the metropolis. Weapons were also recovered during the raids.
The first raid was carried out at Omni office at II Chundrigar Road and two employees were detained. The Rangers team then raided offices near Hockey Stadium and Hotel Metropole.
Majid has been involved in transfers and postings of police officers in Sindh Police and is believed to be playing a vital role to remove Sindh IG AD Khawaja from his post.
Sindh’s top cop sent on ‘forced leave’
Earlier this week, Sindh IG AD Khawaja was reportedly sent on a 'forced leave' owing to differences with Majeed. “The appointment of District Malir’s former SSP Rao Anwar and a recent dispute between IGP Khawaja and one of Zardari’s close aides – businessman Anwar Majid – after a police raid are the major reasons for sending him on leave,” a senior police official had told The Express Tribune.
Anwar Majid is a Karachi-based businessman and a close friend of PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari.
Zardari returns from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to Pakistan at the end of his self-imposed exile today after a year and a half. The PPP leader had left the country in June last year following a hard-hitting speech that criticised the establishment for over-stepping its domain, thereby offending it. Since then, he divided his time between Dubai and London.
Rangers statement
Later, in a press release, the paramilitary force said its officials conducted an intelligence-based raid on a company’s offices at II Chundrigar Road and Hockey Stadium during which “five people were rounded up and a huge cache of arms and ammunition was also seized from the premises”.
“Those who have been detained include Shahzad Shahid, Rajab Ali Rajper, Ajmal Khan, Kamran Munir Ansari and Kashif Hussain,” it disclosed. “The seized ammunition comprises 17 Kalashnikovs, 4 pistols, 3,255 bullets, 9 ball bombs.”
The statement said legal action will be taken against the suspects and their facilitators after a complete scrutiny of weapons and documents.
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