Pakistan provides ‘damning evidence’ to UK against Altaf

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has provided fresh ‘damning evidence’ to British authorities against alleged involvement of Muttahida Qaumi Movement-London supremo on laundering billions as well as his contact with Indian spy agency-RAW, seeking London’s help for a ‘conclusive headway’ into an ongoing investigation against the leaders of MQM-London, MQM-Pakistan and Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP).

The ‘fresh damning evidence’ carried over fresh record of around a dozen bank accounts, which were once being used by leaders of MQM-London, MQM-Pakistan and PSP for laundering billions of rupees from Pakistan to London, a senior official of the Ministry of Interior revealed on Sunday.

“We found record of some Rs2 billion illegally transferred into the account of Altaf Hussain, self-exiled MQM-London supremo — volume of this laundered money even bigger than the money laundered through Dubai, the UAE and Colombo,” claimed a senior official of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), who was familiar with the latest development. “We also provided fresh record on MQM-London leadership’s  several connections with RAW operators to the UK authorities. The fresh record carries record of leader of MQM's communication,” the FIA official further revealed.

To quickly prosecute this case in London, the Ministry of Interior hired services of known lawyer, Khawaja Imtiaz, as Special Prosecutor. "He [Imtiaz] would plead Pakistan's case," revealed another FIA official who attended marathon meetings held in Karachi last week. Officials of FIA, Ministry of Interior and other senior Karachi based authorities attended these meetings.

FIA officials further claimed that many accounts of Khidmat-e-Khalq Foundation (KKF) had also been used by leaders of MQM to launder money for its Supremo Altaf Hussain. The KKF was founded by MQM leaders to support poor segment of the society in the port city years back.

Finding connection of some thirteen persons, including some leaders of MQM-London, MQM-Pakistan and PSP are being placed on the Exit Control List (ECL), revealed an official of the FIA. These names included Deputy Mayor Karachi Arshad Vohra, former senators Babar Ghauri (out of country) and Ahmed Ali, MNA Khawaja Sohail Mansoor, his brother Rehan Mansoor and nephew Danish Latif, Jamal Nasir, son-in-law of Babar Ghauri and ex MPA Rauf Siddiqui would be placed on the ECL.

The investigators are also questioning Syed Ahmed Tariq, a key signatory of KKF, Abdul Wahab, Chief Accountant KKF, Zahid Anwer Beg, retired Vice President Muslim Commercial Bank, Farrukh Roshan, Banking Service Officer Allied Bank in North Nazimabad and Syed Kunain Haider, Branch Manager Gulshan Block-7 Karachi who allegedly facilitated MQM leaders to illegally transfer money to London. Their names have also been recommended for placing on ECL, added FIA official. Some more key names may also be included to this list as investigation expanded into this case.

Senior management of FIA has also assigned Special Prosecutor Khawaja Imtiaz to hire services of another prosecutor, if needed, in London to pursue this vigorously in coming weeks. FIA Director General Bashir Memon also spent some days in Karachi to monitor the investigation last week. Currently, director Sindh Ameer Sheikh, who also briefed senior officials of Ministry of Interior over this case, was heading the investigation. But officials familiar with the latest development told this correspondent that Director Counter-terrorism Wing FIA Mazhar-ul Haq might lead this important investigation as he was already dealing with Imran Farooq's murder case and also prepared a report on Sarfraz Merchant’s money laundering allegations against Altaf Hussain.

Mr Kakakhail was accompanied with FIA DG Bashir Memon where both were briefed over the ongoing investigation into this case, officials revealed.