A judicial magistrate in Karachi granted post-arrest bail to Armaghan Qureshi on Monday. Qureshi is the prime suspect in the high-profile Mustafa Amir murder case. However, this specific bail applies only to a case involving an illegal call centre and credit card data theft.
The decision comes exactly one year after the brutal murder of 23-year-old Mustafa Amir.
“Alex Boss” & the Data Theft Ring
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) implicated Qureshi in a massive data theft operation. They registered a First Information Report (FIR) on April 16, 2025. The agency claimed Qureshi ran an illegal call centre in Karachi’s Defence Housing Authority (DHA). He allegedly operated under the alias “Alex Boss”.
The FIA detailed a sophisticated modus operandi. Employees at the centre impersonated officials from international agencies. They extracted sensitive information from victims, including names, social security numbers, and credit card details.
According to the FIA, the scammers used the website www.oet.com to verify stolen financial data. They then charged credit cards without rendering any services.
Despite these serious allegations, the defence argued a lack of proof. Advocate Khurram Abbas informed the court that the investigation concluded in 2025. He stated:
Not a single shred of evidence was presented against the suspect.
Consequently, the Judicial Magistrate (South) approved bail against surety bonds worth Rs. 100,000.
Mustafa Amir Murder Suspect Remains Behind Bars
Public reaction to the news has been fierce and confused. Social media users expressed outrage, fearing the suspect was walking free.
One user commented:
Why on earth would a perpetrator who has actively not only shot at police… get bail?
Another user added:
Giving a guy like that freedom is like saying he can commit crimes and nothing will happen.
However, Qureshi is NOT being released. A suspect needs bail in every single case to leave custody.
Qureshi remains in jail due to multiple pending cases:
- The Murder Charge: He is accused of kidnapping and murdering Mustafa Amir on Jan 6, 2025. Police allege he and an accomplice, Sheraz, stuffed Amir’s body in a car trunk and torched it in Hub, Balochistan.
- Terrorism & Weapons: He faces FIRs for injuring policemen during a February shootout, possessing imported illegal weapons, and money laundering.
- Continued Cybercrime: The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) reported that Qureshi even rented properties in Lahore and Islamabad to expand his call centres after the murder.
While the defence secured a win in the fraud case, the main murder trial continues.
