MQM’s Babar Ghauri handed over to police on seven-day remand

KARACHI: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Tuesday handed over former federal minister and MQM leader Babar Ghauri to police on a seven-day physical remand.

On Monday night, the law-enforcement agencies detained Babar Khan Ghauri, as soon he landed at Jinnah International Airport, Karachi after ending his seven-year self-exile.

The police produced the ex-federal minister before the court today to seek his remand which was duly granted.

Ghauri was brought to court amid tight security, seated in the front seat of the police vehicle, and the police refrained from handcuffing the MQM leader — who was considered a close ally of former president retired Gen Pervez Musharraf.

In court, police told the judge that Ghauri was suspected of facilitating a provocative speech and a case has been registered against him at the SITE Super Highway Police Station.

After hearing the police’s arguments, the court awarded them a seven-day remand of Ghauri.

‘Baseless cases’

Speaking to journalists after the hearing, Ghauri said that the cases against him are "baseless" and that had there been any truth in the allegations, he would "not have returned".

In a separate development, the Sindh High Court (SHC) granted Ghauri a nine-day protective bail in the National Accountability Bureau and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) cases — prohibiting the watchdogs from arresting him.

It is pertinent to mention here that last week, the SHC had granted two-week protective bail to him in a corruption reference and a money-laundering and terror-financing case.

The FIA had also booked Ghauri and other party leaders in 2017 in a money laundering and terror financing case.

The National Accountability Bureau had also filed a reference with an accountability court in 2018 as he, as a federal minister for Ports and Shipping from 2008 to 2013, was also facing charges of massive corruption in Karachi Port Trust through 940 illegal appointments.