Karachi (Special Correspondent) The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has failed to arrest three proclaimed offenders in the Sarim Burney human trafficking case, despite the passage of 10 months. Founder of the Sarim Burney International Trust, the main accused in the case and his wife Naheed Malik, have yet to be indicted.
The couple is expected to be indicted on Friday, April 11,2025, however, prior to the scheduled date, the accused’s legal team filed a petition to delay the indictment.
Conversely, the FIA has still failed to apprehend three other proclaimed offenders in the case, including Basalat Khan, legal advisor to Sarim Burney Trust, Humira Naz, in-charge of Sarim Burney Trust Shelter Home and Madiha Islam.
The case originated from a written complaint by U.S. authorities, leading to Sarim Burney’s arrest at Karachi airport in June of last year upon his return from the U.S. on charges of human trafficking.
The other accused, including Khan, Basalat Khan, Humira Naz and Madiha Islam, remain at large and have been declared proclaimed offenders by the court.
On the court’s orders, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has also frozen the bank accounts of all three fugitives. Similarly, the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) blocked their identity cards. Despite these measures, the FIA has yet to make any arrests.
Sources claimed that on the connivence and pressure of influential figures, the FIA is not only deliberately reluctant to arrest fugitive in the case but the agency is intentionally prolonging the case to weaken the charges against Sarim Burney, potentially leading to the closure of the case due to insufficient evidence.
