–Agency claims Khidmat-e-Khalq Foundation bought properties worth Rs3.5bn from extortion money
ISLAMABAD: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Thursday seized 29 properties worth Rs3.5 billion in a money laundering case pertaining to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s (MQM) charity wing, Khidmat-e-Khalq Foundation (KKF).
The investigation is being supervised by Anti-Terrorism Wing Islamabad’s head Dr Mazharul Haq Kakakhel.
FIA said, “The properties of KKF which have been seized are located in various areas of Karachi,” adding that “the KKF bought these properties from extortion money”.
“The money which was earned as rent on these properties was used for two purposes — it used to be sent to London through at least six facilitators and was also given to the families of deceased and imprisoned party workers,” FIA further said.
“For the time being, money has not been stopped from being given to the families of deceased and imprisoned party workers,” the investigation agency added.
“Babar Ghauri, Khawaja Sohail Mansoor and Senator Ahmed Ali are among the facilitators who sent the money to Britain,” it added. “Transactions were also made through fake names.”
In November, Federal Law Minister Farogh Naseem was questioned by the FIA in the money laundering case.
Sources had said that the MQM leader appeared before an FIA team. He was accompanied by party chief and Information Technology and Telecommunication (IT) Minister Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui.
Naseem is accused of transferring Rs268,000 in an account of Khidmat-e-Khalq Foundation (KKF), the MQM’s charity wing. The party is accused of carrying out money laundering using the charity’s accounts.
“The investigative agency’s counter-terrorism wing on Sunday had sent out notices to 726 people working at different positions within the party, instructing them to get in touch with its Islamabad head office,” sources had said.
The party workers are accused of depositing large sums of money, over Rs1 billion, in KKF accounts.
Based on these accusations, a case was registered against MQM’s founder and KKF in October 2017 but was transferred to the FIA later.