ISLAMABAD: The custody of a senior director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was handed to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on a 12-day physical remand by an accountability court in Islamabad on Wednesday for his alleged involvement in human trafficking and accumulating assets beyond his known sources of income.

Accountability judge Mohammad Bashir heard the application filed by NAB seeking physical remand of Shafqat Ali Cheema, a senior director of the foreign affairs ministry who was arrested by NAB on Tuesday on a complaint filed by his own ministry and was brought to court in handcuffs on Wednesday.

The bureau recovered Rs50 million from Mr Cheema`s bank account and also seized elephant tusks worth millions of rupees. The accused is said to be the official in charge of the desks for Sri Lanka, Bhutan and Nepal at the ministry.

He has also been accused of illegally sending a number of people aboard and making money in the process.

The counsel for the accused opposed the physical remand but NAB officials insisted that they needed the remand in order to investigate into the matter.

After approving the 12-day remand, the court directed the NAB investigation officer to produce the accused in court after the expiry of the remand. Foreign ministry official remanded in NAB custody.