LAHORE – A major controversy erupted after former Karachi Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Yellow Line Project Director Zameer Ahmed Abbasi reportedly went missing in Lahore just days after being named in a multi-billion-rupee corruption case linked to the World Bank-assisted transport project.
Abbasi was allegedly taken away from a residence in DHA Phase VIII on June 12 by a group of 15 to 20 unidentified men, FIR said. The complainant, his father Muhammad Panah, claims some of the individuals were dressed in police uniforms while others wore plain clothes, and that they forcibly removed his son at gunpoint before disappearing.
The alleged abduction has raised serious questions, as Abbasi has neither appeared before any court nor returned home since the incident. His family has approached the Lahore High Court, seeking his immediate recovery and demanding legal action against those responsible.
The disappearance comes against the backdrop of a high-profile corruption investigation. The Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) recently booked Abbasi and several other officials over alleged financial irregularities in the Karachi Yellow Line BRT project. Investigators accuse Abbasi of authorizing an advance payment of Rs8.5 billion to contractors in violation of contractual conditions.
Authorities claim the payment caused substantial financial losses to the Sindh government because contractors were required to arrange financing through commercial sources rather than receive such a large advance from public funds.
The corruption case also names former Director of Procurement Jhaman Das and other officials. The allegations emerged from an inquiry conducted by the Chief Minister’s Inspection, Enquiries and Implementation Team Department (CMIE&ITD) into the Karachi Mobility Project.
With multi-billion-rupee corruption probe underway and the key accused now reportedly missing under mysterious circumstances, the case has sparked widespread concern and intensified scrutiny of one of Sindh’s largest transport projects.
