Pakistan People's party leader Syed Asif Hashmi was arrested by Dubai police on Tuesday afternoon. Dubai police has handed over Hashmi to Interpol. Hashmi has been a proclaimed offender of the FIA in the DHA-ETPB land deal case for over a year; he fled the country to escape his arrest. FIA Anti-Corruption Circle had registered a case against Hashmi. Following the registration of that case Hashmi left the country for Dubai.
Hashmi sold the ETPB's 1,946 kanal land to DHA on 25 percent exemption basis in 2009, whereas same land was recommended by former ETPB chairman General Zulfiqar Ali Khan on 33 per cent exemption basis to DHA in 2001. The land was situated in Dera Chahal, Lidher and Mota and difference of 8 per cent caused loss of Rs 2 billion while another 225 kanals was evacuated from DHA which was allegedly occupied with the connivance of ETPB officials and Hashmi's team.