HYDERABAD - The President Hyderabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Goharullah on Saturday managed to escape on a motorcycle with the support of traders after the raid of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) here at the HCCI Secretariat.

Earlier, the businessmen and traders did not allow the Additional Director NAB, Jehanzeb Khan to arrest HCCI President Goharullah from his room.

Mr Khan informed the APP that he came from Karachi to implement on the arrest warrants against Goharullah, president HCCI, who is wanted in a case. However, he was reluctant to give more details into the matter.

The senior member of HCCI executive committee, Yawar Ali Shah informed this scribe that a team led by Additional Director NAB conducted the raid at the HCCI Secretariat where they created chaos among the representatives of the traders’ organisations who gathered in the meeting room to attend a meeting against the attitude of the management of Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (HESCO).

The NAB team which conducted raid on the complaint of Hesco management had locked the meeting room where the representatives of traders’ organisation were waiting for the start of meeting, he said. The team also started harassing the HCCI managerial staff and finally entered the room of the president where Goharullah was discussing issues with the members of the executive committee, he added. Yawar informed that the NAB team had come to arrest Goharullah on the complaint of Hesco management, following the outstanding dues against the industrial units of Fateh Group, led by the HCCI president.

He alleged that the raid was in retaliation from an MNA of Jamshoro district as Goharullah had filed a complaint against him and others following grabbing of his coalmines in Lakhara Coalfield. He informed that a team of NAB led by Assistant Director Javed Memon along with Rangers visited the site which according to Goharullah was grabbed by the said MNA and others.

Mr Gohar, who was also present in the secretariat, avoid talking to media persons who arrived soon after hearing the information of the NAB team raid. MPA Sabir Qaimkhani and MPA Dilawar Qureshi were also rushed to the HCCI Secretariat and inquired the situation.

Another member of the HCCI executive committee, Qayyum Nusrat informed this scribe that both the members of Sindh Assembly were invited along with MNA M Waseem to attend the meeting against the Hesco. After hour long resistance against the arrest, the businessmen and traders in large brought Goharullah out from the HCCI Secretariat and helped him escape on motorcycle from the spot.

The NAB team tried to arrest but the businessmen and traders encircled the team members and released them after the escape of Goharullah.