Lahore: The Anti-Money Laundering Circle (AMLC) of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has called in Muhammad Sabir Hameed, also known as Mitthu, who happens to be a close relative of the former army chief, General (retired) Qamar Javed Bajwa.
The letter obtained by The News states that Mitthu has been asked to appear before the FIA on October 23, 2023, under Section 160, 1898 CrPC in Enquiry No 226/2023 of FIA AML Circle. The summon is related to an ongoing criminal investigation within the agency regarding allegations of substantial transactions into his accounts that do not align with his declared business profile.
The letter reveals that Mitthu had a total of 19 bank accounts, consisting of 14 local and 5 foreign accounts, with a combined credit turnover of Rs5.34 billion. He has been instructed to bring along all pertinent documents, his original CNIC, FBR returns/declarations from 2016 to 2023 (both personal and business), and a list of all the countries he has visited, along with the reasons for those visits.
Additionally, Mitthu has been asked to provide a list of any offshore or shell companies and business entities that he, his spouse, or family members may have holdings in. The FIA is also requesting records of both his national and international assets and those of his family members. They are seeking details of any foreign currency purchases made by him or on his behalf, as well as information on foreign currency taken out of Pakistan by him, his spouse, or family members.
In the event of non-compliance or failure to appear, legal proceedings may be initiated against him under Sections 174 and 175 of the Pakistan Penal Code 1860 in a court of law.
However, individuals close to Muhammad Sabir Hameed, son of Abdul Hameed Khan, have refuted the allegations mentioned in the notice. They maintain that the charges are baseless, and the notice is a result of misunderstandings propagated by business rivals. According to these sources, Mitthu and his family have been engaged in legitimate business activities for over four decades, with all their assets being properly declared and no illegal activities involved.
They argue that the notice has been issued due to business rivalry, as Mitthu’s opponents allegedly provided false information to the government department.
