Imran's security chief arrested on 'money-laundering' charges

Islamabad, April 13

Pakistans Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has confirmed arresting Iftikhar Rasool Ghumman, who is the security in-charge of former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, in a "money-laundering case", media reports said on Thursday.

The Anti-Money Laundering Cell (AMLC) of the agency busted an internally active racket involved in the illegal business of money-laundering based out of Lahore and arrested two members of the gang, the FIA said, The News reported.

According to the FIA officials, Ghumman was running a fake international money-laundering network along with Qaisar Mushtaq and Asim Hussain, the report said.

The officials said the entire network has been exposed and the people engaged in money-laundering through 'hundi' and 'hawala' have been rounded up, adding that the racket was involved in transferring billions of rupees to different countries through illegal ways.

They added that the racket was using more than 40 fake companies for transferring money to other countries.

Rejecting the FIA allegations, sources in the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) said Ghumman is a credible party leader who ran established international business in different countries, and that he was authorised to take care of the imports and exports on behalf of the party, The News reported.

Condemning the arrest, PTI chief Imran Khan alleged that people close to him are being harassed, abducted and tortured.

In a series of tweets, Khan said: "Today, my security in-charge Iftikhar Ghumman has been abducted. This is all part of the London Plan where Nawaz Sharif was given assurances that PTI would be crushed."

"So now people close to me, along with my leadership, are being harassed, abducted, tortured and confronted with sham cases across Pakistan in total violation of the Constitution and rule of law," the former premier added.