KARACHI: A judicial magistrate remanded on Thursday director general of the Karachi Development Authority (KDA) Syed Nasir Abbas to prison in a case pertaining to falsifying facts to obtain a passport.

The Federal Investigation Agency had arrested the KDA chief on Sept 16 after registering a case against him for allegedly concealing his government job and obtaining a passport by declaring himself a businessman.

After the end of his second physical remand, the FIA produced him again before a judicial magistrate (South). The investigating officer submitted that the suspect was keeping two passports and had used both to travel abroad. The IO sought further extension in his custody to complete the investigations.

The magistrate sent him to prison on judicial remand and directed the IO to file the investigation report as required under Section 173 of the Criminal Procedure Code within the stipulated period.

Warrants issued for arrest of two former women legislators

The FIA’s anti-human trafficking cell booked the grade-20 officer under Section 6 (1) (a) (c) of the Passport Act, 1974. The act says that a person shall be punishable with imprisonment which may extend to three years or with a fine or both if he uses a statement which he knows or believes to be false in any document for obtaining a passport or wilfully concealing any fact which under the circumstances he should disclose for obtaining a passport for himself or another person.

Warrant in dual nationality cases

A sessions court again issued on Thursday warrants for the arrest of former Pakistan Peoples Party MNA Farahnaz Ispahani and PPP leader Nadia Gabol for their extended absence in dual nationality cases.

On a directive of the Supreme Court, the election commission had filed complaints against Ms Ispahani and Ms Gabol, then an MPA of the MQM, and other legislators in 2012 for filing false declarations with their nomination papers for elections to conceal their dual nationalities.

In a previous hearing, the court had issued warrants as they did not turn up despite repeated summons. A district and sessions judge again issued warrants for their arrest since they were again found absent.

Militant convicted

A sessions court handed down on Thursday a collective sentence of 12 years to a suspected militant in attempted murder and illicit weapons cases.

Hassan, alias Hosni, was found guilty of making an attempt on the lives of policemen to escape arrest and carrying unlicensed weapons last year in a Malir locality.

An additional district and sessions judge, who conducted trial inside the central prison, awarded seven years in the illicit weapons case and five years in the attempted murder case. However, both the sentences would run concurrently.

The Counter-Terrorism Depart­ment said that the accused was arrested after a shoot-out and weapons were found in his possession while his accomplices escaped, adding that the accused was affiliated with a banned militant outfit and was planning to carry out terrorist activities in the city.

Published in Dawn, September 22nd, 2017