News Desk |
After a hailstorm of reports quoting the arrest of Owais Muzaffar Tappi, the news was denied by multiple sources, including Tappi himself, who spoke to a local channel. Owais Muzaffar Tappi, former Sindh Local bodies Minister, and Asif Zardari’s foster brother was quoted to have been arrested in Dubai with the help of Interpol.
The reports also said that the former Sindh minister will be transferred to Pakistan soon. TV channels had reported that the former Sindh Assembly lawmaker was accused of selling government lands in violation of laws. The National Accountability Bureau had approved the launching of inquiries in four different cases against Owais Muzaffar Tappi in August last year. Tappi is said to have abused his authority to illegally allot several hundred acres of land by the Malir river, which has reportedly cost the national treasury Rs33 billion.
Things took a surprising turn when the former Sindh minister spoke to a TV channel himself and denied the reports; Owais Muzaffar Tappi said he was in Dubai and only heard about his arrest through media.
Sources quoted by electronic media also said that Chief Financial Officer of Omni Group Arif Khan has also been taken into custody in Dubai and he would be shifted to Islamabad this week.
Senior journalist Mazhar Abbas, as quoted by a channel’s online publication, said Tappi once operated as de-facto chief minister of Sindh and he is familiar with a lot of issues. Veteran journalist Hamid Mir had also said that Tappi could be asked to become approver against Zardari. He said Zardari and Tappi were not on talking terms for at least four years, adding that the arrest could create troubles for the former president of Pakistan. Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur are on interim bail in case pertaining to money laundering.
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Things took a surprising turn when the former Sindh minister spoke to a TV channel himself and denied the reports; Owais Muzaffar Tappi said he was in Dubai and only heard about his arrest through media.