An Additional District and Sessions Judge (South) in Karachi has remanded Zamir Abbasi, the former Project Director of the Yellow Line Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project, into the custody of the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) for four days. The case involves alleged corruption totaling PKR 8.5 billion. After hearing arguments from both sides, the court directed the authorities to present the suspect again on July 1st, alongside a formal progress report from the investigation officer.
During the court proceedings, the investigation officer requested physical custody to further probe the financial irregularities, explaining that essential data collection had been delayed due to the Muharram holidays. The court noted that the suspect’s official statement has not yet been made part of the record.
In his defense, Zamir Abbasi questioned the scrutiny of his family’s bank accounts and argued that his phone and personal belongings were already in the possession of the investigators. Denying allegations of fleeing with cash, he raised concerns over his continuous detention and claimed that the consultant for the multi-billion rupee project is closely associated with a federal minister.
Additionally, the defense counsel maintained that the renegotiated contracts with the project’s contractors carried the exact same terms as the original agreements. When questioned by the judge regarding his treatment in custody, Abbasi explicitly stated that he had not faced any physical torture. The court concluded the hearing by attaching the supplementary challan to the case file and ordering the investigation officer to expedite the inquiry.
