The leadership of Businessmen Group (BMG) & Office Bearers of the Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCCI), while expressed deep concerns over the abrupt arrest of Abdul Hameed Agar by National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Karachi, said that the bonafide and reputable businessman, who happens to be the brother of Former President KCCI Haroon Agar, has been arrested on charge of an alleged Sales Tax Refund of a meager amount of just Rs. 150,000/- without serving any notice prior to the arrest which must be strongly deplored.
In a statement issued, Chairman Businessmen Group & Former President KCCI Siraj Kassam Teli, Vice Chairmen BMG & Former Presidents KCCI Tahir Khaliq, Zubair Motiwala, Haroon Farooki and Anjum Nisar, President KCCI Muffasar Atta Malik, Senior Vice President KCCI Abdul Basit Abdul Razzak and Vice President KCCI M. Rehan Hanif stated that in this regard, a letter has been sent to Chairman NAB Justice (Retd.) Javed Iqbal in which the arrest of Abdul Hameed Agar has been strongly condemned as this unjust move by NAB Karachi has triggered a great deal of unrest amongst businessmen and industrialists.
They said that the entire business and industrial community of Karachi criticizes the way NAB Karachi has executed such a stern action against a reputable businessman Hameed Agar, who has been doing business since past many years and holds a spotless record. Karachi Chamber has never ever received any kind of complaint against him.
BMG Leadership & KCCI Office Bearers pointed out that it was highly unfair on part of NAB Karachi to arrest such reputable businessmen without fulfilling the basic requirements of serving notices and seeking explanation by summoning the accused at NAB Office prior to the arrest. The arrest should only be made, if the accused fails to respond to NAB’s notices or avoids to appear before the Bureau. Such a humiliating behavior towards bonafide and reputable members of the Karachi Chamber has intensified anxiety amongst business and industrial community and is likely to trigger the trust-deficit which is neither in the interest of NAB nor in favor of the country, they added.
They further stated that instead of taking such an unjust action against Hameed Agar and issuing an official press release about the same which resulted in terribly defaming a reputable businessman, NAB officials should have brought this issue to KCCI’s knowledge and the Chamber should have been taken into confidence prior to the arrest, which would have certainly resolved this issue in an amicable manner without creating an embarrassing situation for the accused and his family members.
They categorically stated that the Karachi Chamber never supports any culprit or tax evader. If NAB shares the evidences and information against any businessman or industrialist with KCCI, which will strictly be kept confidential, the situation would not be as bad as seen in this particular case. “After reviewing all the evidences, if we also find the accused guilty of conducting any wrongdoing, the Karachi Chamber would personally hand him over to NAB, which would help in saving the dignity and self-respect of many reputable businessmen and industrialists who are playing an indispensable and commendable role in the economic development of the country by loyally and honestly paying their due taxes”, they added.
They stressed that Chairman NAB must take strict notice of the situation in order to restore the confidence of business and industrial community by directing his sub-ordinates to refrain from such tactics being used to harass the honest, bonafide and reputable members of the Business and Industrial community.