Well-known Pakistani journalist held for fraud in Abu Dhabi

Dr Moeed Pirzada

A well-known Pakistani TV journalist, Dr Moeed Pirzada, has been detained in Abu Dhabi for fraudulently obtaining thumb impressions from his father, who is admitted in a local hospital in a critical condition.
Dr Pirzada and his sister were detained after hospital staff reported the matter to the Abu Dhabi Police.
His father, an Abu Dhabi-based medical doctor, is in the intensive care unit of the hospital. He has been hospitalised for "quite some time", a Pakistan Embassy source told Khaleej Times on Saturday.
According to the embassy official, the detained journalist reportedly planned to use the thumb impressions on documents to withdraw the accrued profits and interest from investment certificates valued at about Dh20,000-Dh30,000.
The official said he plans to visit Dr Pirzada in prison on Sunday to provide necessary counselor services.
The Abu Dhabi Police was not immediately available for a comment. KT's calls and an SMS to the police remained unanswered at the time of going to print. An Abu Dhabi Police spokesman said more details of the case would be available on Sunday.
On Friday, Qazi Khalil Ullah, the spokesman of Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told dawn.com: "Moeed was arrested on August 4. He did speak to Pakistan Embassy before his arrest."
In his last tweet on August 6 at 9.51pm, the respected political commentator asked his 536,037 followers on Twitter for prayers. "My father is critically ill and spending time with him overseas (sic). Keep us in your prayers," he wrote.
haseeb@khaleejtimes.com