Court sends Sarim Burney to prison on remand

Social worker Sarim Burney was sent to prison on remand on Saturday after the court rejected the Federal Investigation Agency's (FIA) request for an extension of his remand.

Burney's bail application was scheduled to be heard on June 10 (Monday) by Judicial Magistrate (East) Khaliq ul Zaman.

The social worker – who runs the Sarim Burney Welfare Trust International, a not-for-profit entity – was produced in court at the end of his two-day remand in custody.

In an interview with journalists present in court, the social worker said he was not wrong about the case. “I don't believe there is any error in the papers. I run the system and I suffer as punishment,” Burney said.

Burney was arrested on June 5 after landing at Jinnah International Airport in Karachi following his visit to the United States. The social worker's arrest and pretrial detention by the FIA ​​follows accusations of human trafficking, human smuggling and illegally sending children to the United States, after US authorities filed a complaint against him.

Burney is accused of smuggling a little girl named Haya into the United States, the FIA ​​said. Officials added that Burney bought the baby from his parents for Rs 1 million and sent him to the United States.

“More than one person helped Sarim Burney buy the little girl,” they added. FIA officials also recorded the statement of the baby's parents who, they added, are extremely poor.

During the social worker's court appearance on Saturday, the FIA ​​lawyer said Haya's mother Afsheen sold her daughter to a woman named Madiha, who then sold the child to another woman, Bushra.

Burney, on the other hand, declared the little girl an orphan in family court, the FIA ​​lawyer said. The FIA ​​lawyer added that the accused is not cooperating with the investigation and is not answering questions properly. “There are more than 20 victims to be identified and the defendants are not cooperating,” the lawyer said.

When the court asked how much money was taken by the person who adopted the baby, the FIA ​​lawyer replied: “The person who adopted the girl gave $3,000.”

The court asked the FIA ​​lawyer if there was any evidence regarding the payment. The lawyer said the agency had requested documents from U.S. authorities. He asked the court to hold a closed hearing on the juvenile case. “An organized group is involved in this case, an additional week of pre-trial detention should be granted.”

The court also asked the FIA ​​lawyer if the real parents of the girl were alive, to which he replied in the affirmative and said they would record their statements in court.

Lawyer Amir Nawaz Waraich, who appeared on behalf of Sarim Burney, told the court that baby Haya's family said they had given their daughter away themselves. “The FIA ​​has been investigating this matter for two and a half months. They were blackmailing the baby's mother,” he said.

Burney's attorney said his client would answer appropriate questions. During the hearing, the social worker said he had the evidence on his cell phone. “I said I was out of the country and would come back to respond.”

The court asked Burney why he lied when the baby's real parents were alive, to which he responded that he had no knowledge. “You are the director of the institution; how did you not know that?” » the judge asked the social worker. The court then asked the FIA ​​investigating officer to record the statement of the accused.