KARACHI: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf MNA-elect, who defeated the Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan’s (MQM-P) candidate in its Azizabad, Karachi, stronghold, is an ‘absconder’ in a 20-year-old smuggling case, court documents show.
Mohammed Aslam Khan claimed 75,702 votes to win NA-254 Karachi Central-II, where MQM has its headquarters. The party has dominated the city for the past three decades.
The MQM-P’s Shaikh Salahuddin was runner-up with 48,813 votes in the July 25 elections.
However, court documents show that 20 years ago Khan absconded after being accused in a smuggling case in which two of his accomplices were convicted.
The special court of customs and taxation in Karachi tried Mohammed Azam and Hameeduddin, two of Khan’s accomplices, in December 1998.
According to the court order seen by Arab News, Khan had absconded when the judge Mohammed Sadiq Leghari handed down the judgment against his accomplices.
Khan faced charges of smuggling electronic goods worth 28.57 million rupees ($226,000), the official document said.
Firdous Shamim Naqvi, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Karachi chief, dismissed the allegations and said that Khan had not been convicted.
“He has already submitted a statement that he has not been convicted in any case. There is no conviction against this man,” Naqvi told Arab News.
He said that Khan was “a man of really good repute.”
“He had been holding a famous food festival in Karachi’s Frere Hall for the past five years. They government has been dealing with him, many companies have been dealing with him,” Naqvi said. “He is no criminal.”
PTI’s MNA-elect ‘absconded’ in smuggling case, documents claim
PTI’s MNA-elect ‘absconded’ in smuggling case, documents claim
- Muhammad Aslam Khan is accused in a smuggling case, which doesn’t disqualify him from contesting elections, PTI Karachi chief says
- Aslam Khan was to smuggled electronic goods into Pakistan about twenty years ago
Pakistan showcases smart solutions, tech innovation at ITCN Asia expo in Lahore
- ITCN Asia is Pakistan’s largest information and communications technology exhibition and conference
- It highlights developments in cybersecurity, cloud computing, AI, e-commerce and digital governance
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is showcasing its growing technology sector at the 27th edition of ITCN Asia at the Expo Center in Lahore, bringing together innovators, startups, investors and policymakers for one of the country’s premier technology exhibitions, Pakistani state media reported on Saturday.
ITCN Asia is Pakistan’s largest information and communications technology exhibition and conference, which is regularly held to highlight developments in fields including cybersecurity, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, e-commerce and digital governance.
The three-day event, which began on Saturday, focuses on networking, knowledge-sharing and lead generation, with conferences facilitating a learning environment for tech enthusiasts and professionals.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Information Technology Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja called ITCN Asia a “distinguished” global event showcasing tech advancement in Pakistan, the Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported.
“Pakistan’s use of cybersecurity has put the country on the forefront of technological advancement and strengthened global trust in our technology sector,” she was quoted as saying.
The exhibition features more than 850 booths, over 3,000 global brands, international delegates, investors and government leaders, according to the organizers.
Pakistan’s Special Technology Zones Authority (STZA) is showcasing electric vehicle and electronics assembly by global brands, including BYD, Samsung and Google at the exhibition.
The STZA has set up a national pavilion at the exhibition with facilitation from the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), according to a statement issued by the cabinet division.
The move is part of Pakistan’s efforts to boost foreign investment in its technology sector as the country’s startups and software houses have attracted global interest in recent years. Pakistan’s IT exports rose by $180 million to $1,057 million during
July-September last year, compared with $877 million in the same period of 2024, according to the information technology ministry.
Pakistan’s technology sector is also advancing in AI and cloud computing, marked by the launch of Pakistan’s first sovereign AI cloud in November, designed to keep sensitive data domestic and support growth in the broader digital ecosystem.
