KARACHI – A local court in the city on Tuesday denied the bail request of social worker Sarim Burney in a children smuggling case.
The ruling by Judicial Magistrate (East) Khaliq ul Zaman followed the completion of arguments from Burney’s defense and the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) prosecution.
During the proceedings, the prosecutor stated that additional evidence needed to be gathered against Burney.
The FIA counsel argued that the investigation could be compromised if the suspect is released on bail, adding that Burney had been deceptive throughout the investigation.
He further mentioned that the ongoing investigation has led to new discoveries.
The prosecutor also pointed out that the mother of a baby girl named Haya had reached out to Burney to retrieve her daughter, but he refused to comply.
The counsel representing Burney argued that the FIA had not conducted a thorough investigation.
The counsel contended that the couple who adopted the baby from the hospital entrusted her to the Sarim Burney Trust. He also told the court that all legal protocols were followed in the adoption process.
“The FIA has made allegations without substantiating them with evidence,” he further argued.
The court had earlier granted two-day physical remand of Sarim Burney and handed him over to the FIA for further investigation in the said case.
Burney, who heads the Sarim Burney Welfare Trust International, a non-profit organization, was arrested on June 5 at Jinnah International Airport in Karachi upon his return from the United States.
His arrest and remand were based on accusations including human trafficking, smuggling, and unlawfully sending children to the US following a complaint from American authorities.
As many as 20 children were allegedly trafficked to the US by Burney.
The FIA alleged that Burney is involved in smuggling a newborn girl named Haya to the US. They claim Burney purchased the baby from her parents for Rs1 million before sending her abroad.
