Babar Khan Ghauri, a former federal minister and the head of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), was detained by police on Monday night shortly after he returned from the US and ended his seven-year self-exile, according to officials.
According to a video obtained on a mobile device, Ghauri was arrested by the Karachi police; however, the responsible police officers remained mum about his imprisonment. After a video taken on a mobile device went viral online, showing several police officers removing Babar Ghauri from the airport grounds, word of his arrest spread like wildfire.
The video also shows a Sindh police armored personnel carrier (APC) stationed there. He was transported to an unnamed place. However, despite numerous attempts, the concerned police authorities were unavailable for comment.
The Sindh High Court only granted him a two-week protective bail last month in a relation to a corruption reference as well as a money laundering and terror financing case. The former minister declared his return following the SHC orders but didn’t elaborate on his future aspirations for the nation.
While confirming the arrest, a senior official said that the “situation will be obvious by tomorrow [Tuesday]” when the former MQM key leader would be brought before the court and declined to say why the law enforcement agency made the step. The former ports and shipping minister, who had been away from Pakistan for seven years, had applied to the SHC last month through a counsel, stating that he was now abroad and was prepared to return and surrender before the trial court.
The Federal Investigation Agency arrested Mr. Ghauri, the MQM founder, and several party leaders in 2017 in connection with a case involving money laundering and financing for terrorism. In 2018, the National Accountability Bureau also filed a reference in an accountability court against him and other defendants for the alleged irregular regularization of 940 Karachi Port Trust employees, which resulted in a loss to the national exchequer of Rs2.8 billion.
After the investigation officer in the case submitted a report stating that there was no likelihood of the former minister’s arrest shortly since he had likely fled to avoid being apprehended, legal and prosecution officials reported in October 2019 that the court had declared Babar Ghauri a proclaimed offender.
Netizens took to Twitter to share their thoughts. Twitter user @OmarBinMuaz1 tweeted, “It will be a historic blunder, Karachi will drown in blood again. May Allah SWT save Pakistan.”
It will be a historic blunder, Karachi will drown in blood again. May Allah swt save Pakistan
— Omar Bin Muaz (@OmarBinMuaz1) July 4, 2022
Another Twitter user @FarooqHKhan tweeted, “Does this imply revival of MQM militant infrastructure in Karachi, those good old days of Bori band lashein, the bhatta mafias, thappa mafias. Love to see that era again.”
Doesthis imply revival of MQM militant infrastructure in Karachi, those good old days of Bori band lashein, the bhatta mafias, thappa mafias. Love to see that era again.
— Farooq Hameed Khan (@FarooqHKhan) July 5, 2022
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