• NA sub-committee gets briefing on investigation from multiple agencies
• IG says police focusing on murder, other institutions probing narcotics, money laundering aspects
KARACHI: A group of lawmakers on Friday met law enforcers at the Central Police Office/IG police office in Karachi to get a briefing on the enigmatic Mustafa Amir kidnapping-cum-murder case and inquired about the progress so far made in it and other issues related to the case.
National Assembly’s sub-committee on interior affairs led by its chairman Abdul Qadir Patel, comprising MNA Agha Rafiullah and Khawaja Izharul Hasan, the IG police Sindh, Addl. IGP Karachi, DG of Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF), Director Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), secretary Excise, DIGs of headquarters, Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) South, SSP of Anti Violent Crime Cell (AVCC) and others attended the meeting.
The IGP Sindh, Ghulam Nabi Memon, told Dawn that the police gave a briefing about the murder case.
He said the participants were informed that initially it was a missing case, which turned into a kidnapping for ransom and then a murder case.
During further investigation, the nature of crimes changed. There were a ‘significant involvement’ of narcotics, possible money laundering, and terror financing, which were being dealt with by the Anti-Narcotics Force, excise department and FIA.
The IG said the lawmakers directed the law enforcers to complete their work and submit detailed findings in the next meeting expected to be held after a gap of 10 days.
He said the main focus of the police was on the murder investigation and its motive. He said there were some ‘petty issues’ between friends, which led to the murder.
“We have collected evidence to the murder case while other crimes like narcotics, money laundering, etc, are being investigated by other institutions,” said the provincial police chief, adding that the police’s focus was on the primary case and collection of its evidence.
He hinted at the possibility that separate cases would be registered against the main accused, Armaghan, as investigations moved further in narcotics, money laundering etc.
Meanwhile, an official statement issued by the IG police spokesperson said the participants were given a briefing by Sindh police, FIA and excise department about the progress made so far in the Mustafa Amir murder case and actions against narcotics.
IG police Ghulam Nabi Memon, DIG CIA Muqaddas Haider, ANF’s Brig Imran Ali, director FIA Noman Siddiqi and secretary excise Saleem Rajput shared necessary details about the Mustafa Amir murder case and issues related to it like money laundering, drug mafias and other crimes. The lawmakers exchanged views about different aspects of the murder case, other factors and decided to seek more answers and necessary details from institutions in the next meeting.
The lawmakers directed the institutions for coordination among them and submit concrete evidence and comprehensive strategy in the next meeting of the NA’s body.
‘Problems’ in inquiry
Sources privy to the meeting also told Dawn that the NA body raised a host of questions and concerns, particularly as to why the FIA was taking so much time in completing the inquiry into the money laundering charges.
They also asked as to what actions had been taken by the police authorities against the policemen, specifically an officer posted in the CIA who is said to be close relative of main accused Armaghan, as a video of his had been leaked.
The sources said that the meeting participants were informed that 18 computers/laptops had been recovered from the possession of Armaghan.
The FIA officials were quoted as having said that they were facing “problems” in the inquiry as they needed the personal laptop and two mobile phones of Armaghan for inquiry.
The FIA contended that they were not being provided access to the data despite the fact that the police did not have expertise in such matters.
The police responded to this by saying that they could provide this data (laptop, cell phones) through the intervention of court since it was the case property.
Published in Dawn, March 8th, 2025
