Arrest warrants issued for ‘One Pound Fish’ man

Published September 6, 2013
A banking court in Lahore on Friday issued bailable arrest warrants for Shahid Nazir on a complaint filed by a leasing company. – File Photo
A banking court in Lahore on Friday issued bailable arrest warrants for Shahid Nazir on a complaint filed by a leasing company. – File Photo

LAHORE: A local banking court Friday issued bailable arrest warrants for Shahid Nazir, the One Pound Fish famed, on a criminal complaint filed by a leasing company.

Banking Court-Lahore IV, Judge Khalid Nawaz issued the order on a criminal complaint filed by Orix Leasing Company in a recovery suit of Rs6.6 million against the one hit wonder.

The court ordered to produce Nazir before it on September 29.

Nazir reached number 29 in the British pop charts for “One Pound Fish,” which he originally composed to encourage shoppers at the market in east London where he worked to part with a pound (around $1.60) for a fish.

The song became a YouTube hit after someone filmed him singing it at the market and Warner Music signed him up for a record deal in the hope of getting the coveted Christmas number one spot in the charts.

On his return to Pakistan in December, hundreds of people showed up at Lahore airport to shower him with rose petals, and he has since adapted “One Pound Fish” to promote phone services in TV and radio adverts.

According to details, Nazir being owner of Rajpoot Goods Transport acquired a loan of Rs6.6 million from the leasing company for purchasing trailers in 2007.

The leasing company had to file a recovery suit after Nazir failed to reimburse the loan payments. However, he later made a deal with the company and agreed to pay Rs1.34 million through 11 cheques of Rs94,000 each.

The cheques nonetheless were found bogus and the company subsequently filed the criminal complaint for legal action against the singer.

On the last hearing, the court had issued notices to Nazir for appearance which he refused to receive and also failed to appear before the court today.

By taking a strict notice of the matter, the court has issued bailable arrest warrants for Shahid Nazir and ordered to produce him on September 29.

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