FIRs lodged against Omni Group officials

KARACHI: The Saddar and Mithadar police registered FIRs against the Omni Group and its group director under  illegal arms and terrorism laws on behalf of the Sindh Rangers.

The first FIR was lodged at the Saddar Police Station on behalf of Inspector Mehboob Ahmed of the Rangers, who said that, acting on information he along with other soldiers had raided an office of the OMNI Group situated near the Hockey Stadium, and during the search of the office they had recovered 13 submachine guns with magazines, 3,255 bullets, four ball bombs, a 30-bore pistol with a magazine.

He added that during the search of OMNI Group’s other offices they had also seized some 14 file folders for investigations.  The official alleged that the group director, Khwaja Salman Younus, and others had hidden the weapons and worked as facilitators. The police registered the FIR under sections of 23 (a) the Sindh Arms Act, Explosive Act and Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act.

Another FIR was registered by the Mithadar Police Station on the complaint of Sub Inspector Mohammed Riaz Sarwar of the Sindh Rangers.

The FIR was registered under the Sindh Arms Act, Explosives Act and Section-7 of the Anti Terrorism Act.

Rangers’ personnel had also conducted a raid on another office of the OMNI Group on II Chundrigarh Road from where they had claimed recovering weapons and explosive material. The case has nominated its heads in the FIR.

The OMNI Group also issued a statement regarding reports circulating since Sunday morning about the arrest of OMNI employees or raids on its offices.

The statement said: “OMNI Group of Companies hereby strongly refute validity of the news items, appearing on various news channels since morning, in respect of the arrest of person relating to OMNI Group and a raid on the house of Mr. Anwar Majeed.

“No one relating to OMNI Group attempted to fly out of Pakistan, nor was any one arrested/questioned at the Airport.

“No house located in DHA Area of Karachi, belonging to Anwar Majeed or his family, was raided by any law enforcement agency today or before. Even otherwise OMNI Group and Majeed and his family do not deal with any illegal arms/ammunition for any purpose whatsoever.”

The statement further said: “OMNI Group and Anwar Majeed carry out business activities strictly within the parameters mandated by the laws of Pakistan. Recent rumours will seriously affect the lawful business of OMNI Group. It is therefore expected from the Electronic and Print Media that they shall very cautiously attend to and transmit any news item that they deem necessary for public consumption.

“Likewise, while doing so the Electronic and Print Media is also expected to provide a full and accurate account, and refrain from using old footages with any new rumours.”  The statement said: “This Press Release is issued in the best interest of the thousands of people attached with the business activities of OMNI Group.”

 Talha Hashmi adds: The name of Khawaja Salman Younis, a close friend of former president Asif Ali Zardari and close companion of renowned businessman Anwar Majeed, has been put on the Exit Control List (ECL). 

According to sources, besides Karachi all other airports of the country have been informed about him and immigration officials have been strictly directed not to allow Kh Salman Younis to proceed abroad.