Pakistan

FIA reopens money-laundering case against actress Sophia Mirza

Published

1 year ago

Farwa

FIA’s Corporate Crime Circle in Karachi summoned actress.
FIA officer says legal proceedings will be started.
Original complaint of money-laundering was registered in Sept 2019.

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has summoned actress and model Sophia Mirza regarding a previous money-laundering inquiry which was shut down.

The FIA’s Corporate Crime Circle (CCC) in Karachi had asked the actress to appear in the provincial capital and answer questions about the money-laundering case but the actress didn’t turn up and the FIA has confirmed that it will be taking further action over Mirza’s non-appearance.

A letter sent by FIA’s Karachi Circuit had asked the actress to appear before the investigation team to answer questions about FIR No. 53/2022 “registered at this circle under the provision of Anti Money Laundering Act 2010”.

“During the course of the investigation, it has transpired that you have made sale/purchase transactions with the accused person for providing him foreign currencies without any slip/receipt and it appears that you are well acquainted with a crime,” the notice read.

The FIA Karachi said Mirza, whose real name is Khushbakht Mirza, was asked to appear before the FIA with her original CNIC and was directed to bring a full record covering the period from 2019 to date to clarify her position.

She was also asked to bring with her Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) record including return wealth record, sales tax records, bank details, and details of properties which are owned by her or her dependent.

An FIA officer said the actress has ignored the letter, adding that legal proceedings will be started. Mirza didn’t respond to questions about the money-laundering investigation but a source close to her said she will contest it.

The original complaint of money laundering was registered against Mirza in September 2019 after which, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had been directed to launch a probe into the matter.

The Lahore-based former model is not new to controversies. In April 2018, she was acquitted in a fraud case due to insufficient evidence.

In September 2017, Judicial Magistrate of District Court Ahsan Raza issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Mirza allegedly involved in a fraud case.

The complainant, Shaikh Nasir, got a case registered at the Samanabad Police Station against Sofia Mirza, her brother Khurram Shehzad and others under sections 468/471, 419/420 of PPC.

He contended in the FIR that Mirza in connivance with her brother sold him a car LZM-5766. After purchasing the car, he sold it to another person. After that Mirza got registered a car theft case against him. When the car was confiscated by police, the car was being used by Mirza.

The actress and her sister, Mariam Mirza, had also been accused of abducting a girl, Fatima, in 2012 who had testified in the court both sisters had kidnapped her.

Fatima had alleged that both sisters promised her a lucrative job in the showbiz industry but later used her as a slave to do their domestic chores. When Fatima wanted to leave, she was held against her will and tortured for several days by both sisters. The police later said that her involvement in the alleged kidnapping could not be established.

Zahid Zahoor, Fatima’s stepfather, had said that police had favoured Mirza by releasing her without producing her before a court to seek a remand.

Business

Price of LPG “slashed” by Rs. 20 per kilogram

Published

19 hours ago

Farwa

Sources claim that LPG rates have been lowered by Rs 20, making the cost per kilogram drop from Rs 280 to Rs 260.

It is noteworthy to remark that the costs of LPG were reduced by Rs 20 per kilogram earlier, resulting in a total reduction of Rs 40 per kilogram within a few weeks.

The price of liquefied petroleum gas for the month of May 2024 was lowered by the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) on April 30.

The LPG tariffs were lowered by Rs 11.88 to Rs 238.46 per kilogram in accordance with the OGRA’s notice. On Wednesday, May 1, 2024, the new rates will go into effect.

In April of last year, the price per kilogram of LPG was Rs 250.34. pricing reduction of Rs 140.18 has resulted in a new pricing for home LPG cylinders set for May 2024 of Rs 2813.85.

The OGRA reported a drop in liquefied petroleum gas pricing in April. The price of LPG is now Rs 250.34 per kg instead of Rs 256.78 due to a reduction of Rs 6.44 per kg.

The price of the household cylinder was fixed at Rs 2954.03 for the month of April, down from Rs 3030.12, a decrease of Rs 76.9.

Business

ADB delegation stops by FBR headquarters

Published

19 hours ago

Farwa

Senior Director ADB Tariq Niazi oversaw the expedition, which also involved Sana Masood, Farzana Noshab, and Senior Public Sector Management Specialist Laisiasa Tora. The meeting included presentations from economists as well, according to an FBR press release.

The officers focused on structural and policy adjustments as they discussed the Domestic Resource Mobilization Program’s implementation at the meeting.

$300 million was given to the Pakistani government by ADB in December 2023 as a result of the hard work and dedication of FBR. Better laws, regulations, and institutional capability for the FBR were established by Sub-Program I.

With the $300 million in funding provided by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to the Government of Pakistan in December 2023, the delegation conveyed satisfaction with the program’s effective launch.

The FBR also underlined how crucial digitization is to recording the economy and boosting productivity in a sustainable way.

In order to promote the Government of Pakistan’s Digital Tax Administration Project, both parties decided to look into measures to improve their cooperation.

Latest News

Off-duty police in Islamabad are prohibited from donning uniforms.

Published

19 hours ago

Farwa

The new directives, according to specifics, were sent via wireless by the federal capital police and state that no officer may wear a uniform when reporting for duty or leaving it.

According to the police official, uniforms will only be worn when on duty; otherwise, two policemen will accompany each other during duty hours and will always be required to carry guns.

A different development was the earlier release of an app by the Islamabad Police with the goal of improving crime prevention and public safety.

Launched on the orders of former Interior Minister Sarfraz Akbar Bugti, the recently released ICT-15 app aims to empower the people of the capital city by giving them the ability to actively engage in the battle against crime and protect their areas.

Residents of Islamabad can now easily download and utilize the ICT-15 app because it is easily accessible on the Google Play Store.

Citizens can report a variety of issues with this easy-to-use application, such as incidents, unlawful behavior, complaints against law enforcement, the presence of undocumented people, or any suspicious criminal activity.

The police promise quick reaction times as soon as information is reported using the app, so assistance will be provided as quickly as feasible.