Saqib Chadhar confronted over alleged involvement in illegal kidney transplant, organ trafficking case

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) MPA Saqib Chadhar has been confronted over his alleged involvement in a 2017 illegal kidney transplantation and organ trafficking case while appearing on journalist Irshad Bhatti’s podcast.

As per the details, Chadhar denied the allegations and said that he had been falsely implicated.

The confrontation and Chadhar’s response came as Bhatti invited him to appear on his podcast amid the ongoing harassment case filed by actor Momina Iqbal and under probe at the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA).

During the appearance, which came just days after Momina doubled down on her allegations while speaking to a private media outlet, Bhatti questioned Chadhar about the 2017 case.

Bhatti asked the lawmaker if he had acted as the alleged ringleader of a gang that purchased kidneys from poor people at low prices and sold them to wealthy foreigners from Gulf countries at higher prices. He also referred to allegations that Chadhar had hidden in Chitral’s Kalash Valley to avoid arrest and claims that he had confessed to his involvement.

Chadhar rejected all allegations and said that the case had falsely implicated him. “This case that occurred in 2017… I was completely falsely implicated in it,” Chadhar said, adding that the matter was heard by a court and that he was acquitted.

Bhatti then questioned whether Chadhar had gone to jail in the case, to which the PML-N lawmaker said he had himself surrendered before the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to assist with the investigation.

Chadhar also said he could have brought the relevant documents to the podcast to support his position but did not know that he would be asked about the case. He also said that the documents were still at his home.

It may be noted that said allegations date back to 2017 when the FIA investigated an alleged illegal kidney transplantation network in Lahore. Dr Fawad Mumtaz and Dr Altamash Kharal were among those accused in connection with the investigation, while Chadhar’s name also became linked to the case.

Statements and reports at the time described Chadhar as an associate of the two doctors, however, the lawmaker now disputes the account and maintains that the case eventually went to court, where he was acquitted.

Chadhar further says that the FIA also declared that he had no involvement in the operation.