KARACHI, April 22: An accountability court, headed by judge Riaz Ahmed Phulpoto, issued non-bailable warrants against DCO Karachi.

According to deputy director FIA Haji Abdul Qadeer, a team of FIA on Monday raided the offices of the DCO, Shafiqur Rehman Paracha, to arrest him but he was not present in his office.

The court also issued non-bailable warrants of 11 other suspects, including former chief minister of Sindh, Liaquat Ali Jatoi, in the case, pertaining to evasion of excise duty to the tune of over Rs60 million on liquor.

The other wanted suspects in the case were: Nasim Zafar, chairman Murrey Brewery, Rawalpindi, M. B. Bhandara, Feroz P. Bhandara, Feroz Uddin A Qasim, Muhammed Saud Karim, Khurram Muzaffar, M. M. Shahbaz, Isfandyar Bhandara and M Shaban Mir (all directors) and Nazeer Ahmed, general manager of the brewery.

Former provincial excise minister Ismail Rahu, former excise and taxation officer (ETO), Agha Abbas Wazir, Kaka Krishinchand, Raj Kumar and Asher Jan are the arrested accused in the reference.

The accused were charged for bringing the liquor from Rawalpindi to Karachi on 33 fake import permits.

Besides, according to the prosecution, Agha Abbas Wazir moved to the then chief minister, Liaquat Jatoi, an application seeking extension in his service as he had attained the age of 60. The then excise and taxation secretary, Shafiqur Rahman Paracha, prepared the summary for granting extension, though the then chief secretary opposed the proposal.

Similarly, the court had earlier issued non-bailable warrants for the arrest of another former E&T secretary, Aftab Ahmed Qureshi, who had also allegedly played a role in the grant of extension in the services of the ETO. However, he obtained a stay order on the NBWs, issued by the trial court.

Former MPA Mehromal Jagwani, his manager Bhagwandas, and three officials of the excise and taxation department, Iqbal Solangi, Majeed Pathan and Niaz Ahmed, have already been declared absconders in this case.

The judge ordered the investigation officer to arrest the absconding accused and produce them before the court on April 27.