The Punjab home department on Monday revoked an order to shift Omni Group Chairman Anwar Majeed’s son Abdul Ghani Majeed and Pakistan Stock Exchange former chairman Hussain Lawai to Karachi jail from Rawalpindi after Prime Minister Imran Khan expressed anger over the move, a private TV channel reported.
The Punjab Home Department had on January 31 granted permission to shift AG Majeed and Lawai, who are currently under detention in the ongoing money laundering probe, to Karachi’s Malir jail from Adiala jail in Rawalpindi. The permission was granted on the request of Sindh government.
The Sindh Home Department had earlier requested that AG Majeed and Lawai be shifted to Malir jail as a banking court in Karachi was hearing a case against them. Requesting their transfer from Adiala jail, the Sindh Home Department had urged that the two be shifted to Malir jail till the case in the bank court is concluded.
However, when the prime minister during a recent visit to Lahore was apprised regarding the development, he expressed dissatisfaction and said that both the suspects should be treated as per law. Following this, the permission order was revoked.
The FIA is investigating 32 people, including Asif Zardari and Faryal Talpur, in relation to laundering of billions of rupees through fictitious accounts. Zardari’s close aide Hussain Lawai was arrested in July last year in connection with the probe. The former president’s other close aide and Omni Group chairman Anwar Majeed and his son Abdul Ghani were arrested by FIA in August.
Published in Daily Times, February 5th 2019.
