NAB team searches Siraj Durrani's house for seven hours: family

KARACHI: A team of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) officials searched the Karachi residence of Sindh Assembly Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani, who was arrested on Wednesday, for seven hours.

Durrani, who was under investigation in three cases pertaining to illegal appointments, accumulating assets beyond means, and embezzlement of funds, was arrested from a private hotel in Islamabad and taken to the NAB office in Rawalpindi. NAB officials then secured a three-day transit remand of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader.

According to Durrani's family, NAB officers carried out a raid at their residence in Karachi on Wednesday night and took with them several documents and files. In all, they took three boxes' worth of items and papers, the family said.

The officers carried out a thorough search of the offices, rooms, and even bathrooms in the PPP leader's house.

Earlier, while presenting him before an accountability court to seek a seven-day transit remand, NAB officials had said: "The relevant authority issued Durrani's arrest warrants and references against him are ongoing in Karachi."

When the court refused to grant seven-day transit remand, they had said: "We will take him to Karachi today or tomorrow and asked for more time owing to bad weather."

Durrani had then told the court: "I was scheduled to depart for Karachi at 7PM today."

Sources had said: "The decision to arrest Durrani was taken during a meeting in which NAB officials were informed that the PPP leader is currently in Islamabad."

Later in the day, however, Durrani was taken from Islamabad airport to Karachi. The Sindh Assembly speaker was shifted to a NAB office in the metropolis, with stringent security measures in place.