FIA gets arrest warrants of PTI leaders in prohibited funding case

Teams formed to arrest suspects including Saifullah Khan Niazi and Aamir Kayani, according to sources

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Commercial Banking Circle Islamabad has obtained arrest warrants for six accused including PTI leaders Saifullah Khan Niazi and Aamir Kayani in the prohibited funding case.

PTI chief Imran Khan, members of the party’s financial team and manager of a private bank were also nominated in the case.

The PTI chief was granted interim bail earlier this month in the prohibited funding case by a court in Islamabad.

Sources said arrest warrants have been obtained for other suspects including Tariq Rahim, Hamid Zaman and Manzoor Ahmed and the FIA has formed teams for their arrest.

The case

The FIA had booked PTI leaders including party chairman Imran Khan, the party’s financial team and a manager of a private bank in the prohibited funding case.

The case was lodged by FIA Commercial Banking Circle Islamabad.

Also read: PTI approaches IHC against ECP's prohibited funding case verdict

According to a first information report (FIR), the former ruling party leaders have violated the Foreign Exchange Act and they were declared as the beneficiaries of suspicious bank accounts.

The FIA claimed that Abraaj Group also transferred $2.1 million to the bank accounts of the PTI.

The FIA kicked off its probe against the PTI in August this year after the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had declared in its verdict that the party had indeed received illegal funding.

The case had been filed by PTI's founding but disgruntled member Akbar S Babar and had been pending since November 14, 2014.

The written order of the ECP stated that the political party had received illegal funds from foreign countries including the US, UAE, UK and Australia.