Swiss investigators in Pak to investigate sexual harassment case

Islamabad, May 9 (UNI) A team of Swiss investigators have arrived here to join a probe into the case involving sexual harassment of two Pakistani women by Swiss embassy staff.

''Now it will become easy for the local investigation agency to interrogate some officials including a local staff member of the today mission allegedly involved in the scandal,'' The Dawn newspaper quoted an FIA source as saying.

Swiss Foreign Minister Michline Calmy-Rey had announced on Saturday the closure of the Swiss embassy visa section in the Capital during her visit to Islamabad.

The source said the Swiss team would stay here till all the culprits involved in the case were exposed.

The FIA has arrested another travel agent, bringing the number of people arrested so far in the case to five, including Ashir Francis, an assistant visa officer in the embassy, and four travel agents.

They were allegedly involved in tampering with passports of visa seekers and smuggling humans out of Pakistan.

Another accused, Major (retd) Ajmal, has been declared an absconder by a local court and he is reported to have escaped abroad. The FIA sought assistance of the Interpol which has issued red notice against Mr Ajmal.

In a statement sent to some newspapers, the accused Ajmal has claimed that some Swiss nationals were also involved in the scam.

FIA official Tariq Khosa said Pakistani and Swiss agencies would jointly investigate into the case to shatter the network.

He said that earlier two officials of a Swiss intelligence agency had visited Pakistan and shared information with local agencies including the FIA.

UNI XC SHB BD1754