Former Abbot of Wat Rai Khing Jailed for 50 Years Over 2 Billion Baht Fraud

Sindh Additional Inspector General (AIG) Azad Khan has told the Senate Standing Committee on Interior that a bank account allegedly linked to drug case suspect Anmol alias Pinky received around Rs300 million within a year. Briefing the committee, Azad Khan said one transaction involving the account amounted to Rs290 million. He added that financial data involving transactions worth around Rs1 billion had so far emerged during the investigation. The briefing was given at a meeting of the Senate Sub-Committee on Interior, chaired by Senator Saifullah Abro. According to the Sindh police official, 10 people have been challaned in connection with the Anmol alias Pinky case. He said two individuals were allegedly operating accounts linked to the suspect and were running their activities from Lahore. The AIG also identified a suspect named Sameer as an alleged associate of Anmol. Azad Khan said another suspect, identified as Aqib, was allegedly running the network in Karachi. He added that two women were also allegedly part of the network and worked as riders for Pinky. According to the briefing, some African nationals allegedly supplied cocaine to the network. The Sindh police official further said investigators had identified 25 riders allegedly associated with the network. He said investigations were continuing into accounts allegedly held in the names of other individuals but believed to be linked to Anmol. Azad Khan also commented on the scale of the alleged drug network. He said media attention had created significant public discussion around the case, but claimed that Anmol was not among the largest drug suppliers. During the meeting, Senator Saifullah Abro questioned the AIG about statements made by Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry regarding the case. Abro asked whether the minister had contacted the Sindh police in connection with Anmol alias Pinky. Azad Khan replied that the Minister of State for Interior had not contacted the police regarding the matter. The committee also discussed other issues related to law enforcement and ongoing investigations in Sindh. Senator Abro raised concerns over alleged corruption involving provincial ministers and referred to several major development projects, including the Yellow Line and Blue Line projects. He also mentioned the arrest of Zameer Abbasi during the discussion.

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Friday accepted a chamber appeal filed by former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan. The court directed that his petition be fixed for hearing before a Supreme Court bench at the earliest. Imran Khan has requested the court to order his transfer from Adiala Jail to Islamabad’s Shifa International Hospital for medical treatment. He has also sought permission for regular meetings with his family members, personal physicians and legal counsel. In addition, he wants his medical reports to be shared with his family. The appeal challenged an earlier decision by the Supreme Court Registrar, who had returned the petitions after raising objections. The Registrar’s Office said the petitions were incomplete because they did not include a signed power of attorney. During Friday’s proceedings, Advocate Uzair Karamat Bhandari appeared before Chief Justice Yahya Afridi in chambers on behalf of Imran Khan. After hearing the arguments, the chief justice declared the Registrar’s objections ineffective and directed the legal team to submit a signed power of attorney. The Registrar’s Office was also instructed to assign a regular case number to the petition so it could be listed for hearing without unnecessary delay. The Supreme Court further ordered that a separate petition filed by Imran Khan’s sister, Dr Uzma Khan, should be heard together with his own case. In the appeal, Imran Khan argued that the Registrar had exceeded his administrative powers by deciding the maintainability of the petition. His legal team maintained that such questions should be decided by judges because they involve constitutional and legal interpretation rather than administrative scrutiny. The petition also requested that Imran Khan be examined by doctors of his own choice. The names included Dr Khurram Mirza, Dr Asim Yusuf, Dr Faisal Sultan and Dr Samina Niazi. It further asked the court to order his immediate transfer to Shifa International Hospital for a detailed medical examination and treatment. The petition also sought uninterrupted access to his personal doctors, family members and lawyers during his imprisonment and treatment. Dr Uzma Khan has also challenged an Islamabad High Court ruling that refused to order Imran Khan’s transfer to Shifa International Hospital. She also questioned the decision denying his family access to his medical information and visits by his personal physicians. In her petition, Dr Uzma said Imran Khan and his wife are currently imprisoned in Adiala Jail, while his two sons live abroad. She said she is his closest immediate family member in Pakistan and, as a medical doctor, is deeply concerned about his health. She argued that she has the legal standing to pursue the case on his behalf. Imran Khan has remained in custody since August 2023. He is serving a 14-year prison sentence in the £190 million Al-Qadir Trust corruption case. He is also receiving treatment for right central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO), an eye condition that was diagnosed earlier this year. His medical treatment has become a major political issue in recent months. Opposition leaders have repeatedly accused the government of failing to ensure proper medical care and denying him access to his personal doctors. They have also demanded his transfer to Shifa International Hospital

Karachi Police Chief Azad Khan has claimed that incidents of robbery and murder have declined across the city, saying the rate of vehicle and motorcycle snatching has fallen by 25%. Speaking during a visit to the Site Association of Industry office, Azad Khan said the latest results were encouraging. However, he added that the police wanted to achieve further improvements in the city’s security situation. The Karachi police chief said authorities were also taking cases of extortion seriously. He said he was personally monitoring such cases and assured the business community that no leniency would be shown towards extortionists and their associates. Azad Khan said many extortionists were still operating from outside the city. He claimed that police had information about them and their networks. He said their associates were allegedly intimidating citizens and businesspeople. Police would take action against anyone found involved in threatening or extorting residents, he added. The police chief stressed that peace in Karachi had been restored after considerable efforts. He said maintaining the city’s security was now a major responsibility. Azad Khan also linked security with Karachi’s economic stability. He said the city’s economic security was extremely important because a weak economy could lead to higher unemployment and crime. He said Karachi’s business community had an important role in the city’s economy. Ensuring a secure environment for businesses was therefore necessary for continued economic activity and investment. The Karachi police chief also spoke about his personal connection with the city. He said he had grown up in Karachi and felt that the city had a debt that needed to be repaid through public service. He acknowledged that the Sindh Police faced several challenges. However, he said efforts were continuing to improve law and order and provide better services to residents. Azad Khan also highlighted the increasing use of technology in policing. He said authorities had not waited for the completion of the Safe City project to introduce the e-challan system. The police would continue moving forward with technology rather than returning to traditional methods. He said the department was also exploring the use of artificial intelligence-based traffic signals. However, such systems required significant investment. The police chief said the authorities were making every effort to provide better public services. He also announced that a major plan was being prepared to tackle encroachments across Karachi. He said the removal of illegal encroachments would be addressed through a broader strategy. The police leadership’s comments come as Karachi continues to face challenges related to street crime, traffic management, extortion and urban development.