BRT corruption suspect gets 4-day remand

A local court in Karachi has extended the physical remand of former BRT Yellow Line Project Director, Zamir Abbasi, by four more days in connection with an

A local court in Karachi has extended the physical remand of former BRT Yellow Line Project Director, Zamir Abbasi, by four more days in connection with an alleged multi-billion-rupee corruption case linked to the Bus Rapid Transit project.

The accused, who was arrested over allegations of financial irregularities amounting to approximately Rs8.5 billion, was presented before the Additional District and Sessions Judge South for a remand hearing.

During the proceedings, the investigating officer requested an extension of the suspect’s custody, informing the court that another accused in the case remains absconding despite raids conducted at multiple locations to secure an arrest.

The prosecution argued that further investigation was necessary to trace the missing suspect and recover additional evidence related to the alleged corruption.

Addressing the court, Zamir Abbasi stated that he had already recorded his statement and voluntarily provided all documents and records requested by investigators.

However, the investigating officer maintained that additional records had been sought and were expected to be received on Monday.

The officer further alleged that the accused had not yet provided complete information regarding the bank accounts and financial details of his mother, wife and other related accounts under investigation.

In his defence, the former project director argued that the disbursement process had been accelerated following directives from the World Bank, which had warned that delays could affect the release of project funding.

After hearing arguments from both sides, the court approved a four-day extension in the physical remand of the accused.

The court ordered investigators to present Zamir Abbasi before the relevant court again on July 1 for further proceedings in the case.

Authorities continue to investigate the allegations surrounding the BRT Yellow Line project as part of a wider inquiry into suspected financial irregularities.