KARACHI The Federal Investigation Agency arrested on Friday Hanif S. Kalia, chairman of the Kalia Group, which runs nearly a dozen businesses across the country, for his group's alleged involvement in money-laundering.

Hanif S. Kalia is elder brother of Abdul Munaf Kalia, director of the Khanani & Kalia International, who was arrested earlier this month along with another director Javed Khanani on charges of illegal transfer of millions of dollars from the country.

'The FIA arrested Hanif S. Kalia from an apartment in Clifton,' an official confirmed without giving details about charges against him and his whereabouts after the arrest.

However, sources claimed that he had been arrested under an FIR registered in Lahore by the agency.

'The FIA is likely to present him before a judicial magistrate in 24 hours to seek interim remand,' the sources said, adding that he would then be taken to Lahore to appear before court and further investigations were carried out by an FIA team in Lahore.

The FIA has arrested more than a dozen officials of the company since November 7. The agency has been interrogating them in two cases registered in Karachi and Lahore.

Earlier this week, a judicial magistrate (south) had extended till Dec 1 the physical remand of Munaf Kalia and Javed Khanani.

Although FIA officials and the Kalia family avoided commenting on the arrest, Forex Association of Pakistan chairman Malik Bostan said the association had been informed about the arrest of Hanif S. Kalia.

'There is confusion among money-changers about the outcome of investigations, but so far we have not seen any negative aspect of such investigations,' he said.

The sources said that the FIA was also looking for another two directors of the Khanani & Kalia International, Altaf Khanani and Owais Kalia, who were said to be abroad.

Apart from the Khanani & Kalia International, the Kalia Group operates KalSoft Private Limited, Kalia Security Vault, Live Securities, Kalia Corporation, Kalia & Sons, KalPoint.com and Business Relations Network.