Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Two persons allegedly involved in the smuggling of human body parts to neighbouring country India succeeded to get bail from the court as the FIA failed to produce solid evidence of the crime. A lower court of Islamabad on Thursday granted bail to two accused persons allegedly involved in the smuggling of human organs to India. Additional Sessions Judge, Faizan Haider Gillani resumed the hearing of the plea filed by a former section officer at the Kuwait Embassy, Umar Shahab, and Sheraz Rauf, seeking bail in a case of smuggling of children’s organs to India. During the course of the proceedings, the counsel of the accused adopted the stance that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had failed to produce evidence against his clients. However, the FIA officials argued that the accused had been involved in vicious activities of smuggling of children’s organs to India and the other members of the gang had also been arrested. They said Shahab used to smuggle vital body organs of children, including their kidneys and livers, to India. He had also served at the Embassy in Kuwait. The FIA said the department had registered three cases against the accused. After hearing the arguments from both sides, the court granted bail to the accused against surety bonds of Rs 100,000 each. It may be mentioned here that a court of Islamabad three days back had sent two other accused to jail who were involved in the illegal transplantation of body organs. The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) presented accused Khawaja Ismail and Khawaja Saqib before the Senior Sessions Judge, Abdul Ghafoor, for hearing. According to the FIA, the arrested accused were involved in human body parts smuggling. They were sending kidney patients to India from Pakistan for medical treatment where they were selling their body organs after operation. Millions of rupees have been transferred from India to Pakistan through their bank accounts, the FIA said. The FIA also registered an FIR against them on victim Sajjid’s application. The accused have set up their offices in Rawalpindi, Multan and Lahore where they were running their illicit business. However, further interrogation is in progress with the arrested suspects.