Imran condemns arrest of his security chief

Says Iftikhar Gumman still in FIA custody, a claim rejected by federal agency

ISLAMABAD:

Condemning his arrest, former prime minister Imran Khan has claimed that his security in-charge, Iftikhar Rasool Ghumman, has been “deliberately targeted” in bid to weaken his security and to spread fear among the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) hierarchy.

The PTI chairman, who survived an assassination bid in November last year while he was leading his party’s long march to Islamabad, also claimed that Ghumman was still in the custody of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

“He [Iftikhar Ghumman] was an overseas Pakistani who left everything and came to Pakistan to help in our mission for Haqiqi Azadi [real freedom].

Read more: Terror outfit planning to target Imran during electioneering: report

“He has been deliberately targeted to weaken my security and also to spread fear amongst the PTI hierarchy. We know who is behind all this,” Imran wrote on Twitter on Tuesday.

My security in charge Iftikhar Ghumman is still in FIA custody. He was an overseas Pak who left everything & came to Pak to help in our mission for Haqiqi Azadi. He has been deliberately targeted to weaken my security & also to spread fear amongst PTI hierarchy. We know who is…

— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) April 25, 2023

The FIA was quick in its response as it rejected Imran’s claim that Ghumman was still in the agency’s custody. In a brief statement issued to the media, it said Iftikhar Rasool Ghumman was nominated in an FIR No 06/2023 of the Anti-Money Laundering Circle of the FIA Lahore.

“He was arrested on April 12, 2023. Moreover, he was an absconder of the FIA Human Trafficking Circle Lahore for the last 22 years in FIR No 291/2001,” the statement read.

According to the FIA, Ghumman was remanded in judicial custody on April 15 and that he is presently in Camp Jail Lahore on the order of a court. “It is clarified that he [Ghumman] is not in the FIA’s custody,” the statement said.