Zardari’s aide booked under anti-terror law

The development came a day after Rangers raided the offices of a company in Karachi

KARACHI: A close aide to PPP Co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari was booked under the anti-terrorism law on Saturday night for ‘possessing illegal weapons’.

The development came a day after the Rangers raided the offices of a company in Karachi after receiving a tip-off about the presence of illegal arms and ammunition, which, the paramilitary force claimed, were received from the offices.



An FIR was registered against Anwar Majeed on behalf of Rangers Sub Inspector Mehmood at Saddar police station under Sections 23-1-A of PPC, 4/5 of the Explosives Act and 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act. Majeed is mentioned as the owner of Omni Group of Companies. The group’s chief, Khawaja Salman Younus, and other officials have also been nominated in the FIR.

Police official Arshad Waraich said the case was registered following Friday’s raids and recovery of the arms and ammunitions. “No arrests have been made thus far,” he added.

The Rangers also lodged another FIR at Mithadar police station under Sections 23-1-A, 4/5 of Explosive Act and 7 of the ATA against unidentified persons. SP Shehla Qureshi said the Rangers official in his statement said that they had recovered arms and ammunitions from an Omni office in the Jubilee Insurance building on II Chundrigar Road.

The Omni Group has already denied it has any office on II Chundrigar Road.



Meanwhile, all the five persons who had been taken into custody during Friday’s raids were reportedly released on Saturday. They have been identified as Shahzad Shahid, Rajab Ali Rajper, Ajmal Khan, Kamran Munir Ansari and Kashif Hussain. The Rangers spokesperson neither confirmed nor denied the release of all suspects.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 25^th, 2016.