The Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday ordered Tehsin Anwar Ali, DG, FIA, to assist Additional Director, FIA, Zafar Qureshi, lead investigator of multi-billion National Insurance Company Limited (NICL) scam. Furthermore, the DG, FIA, was also directed to cancel leave of Qureshi's team members to get assistance in the investigation wherever needed without fear and favour and also to produce them before the bench where appropriate order would be passed on Wednesday.
A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, comprising Justice Amir Hani Muslim and Justice Ghulam Rabbani delivered the orders while hearing suo motu case relating to NICL scam. Moulvi Anwar-ul-Haq, Attorney General for Pakistan , Saddique Akbar, Secretary, Ministry of Interior, Tehsin Anwar Ali, DG, FIA, Zafar Ahmad Qureshi, Addl DG, and Muhammad Azam Khan, Director (Law) appeared before the bench.
Zafdar Qureshi apprised the bench that non-cooperation by Secretary Interior as well as the DG, FIA, and Director, FIA, Lahore, was extended as his team members were reportedly sent on casual leave. He told the bench that at midnight of August 12, Khawaja Hammad, Assistant Director, FIA, informed him on phone that he should not come to Lahore office because there were rumours of bomb in the FIA building.
He added that he went to FIA Lahore office and noticed that the building was locked although a few officers, according to his information, were present inside the building whereas he was barred to enter. That stopped him from performing his duties, given under the SC orders. He added that files of the case under investigation were also not made available to him.
The bench inquired from DG, FIA, about planting of bomb as well as granting of leave to members of team but he failed to satisfy the court. The bench observed in its order, "In the circumstances, we are of the opinion that Secretary Interior, DG FIA , Director FIA Lahore and Khawaja Hammad Assistant Director FIA are prima facie responsible for violating the order of the SC, issued on August 2 by disturbing, disobeying and disregarding the directives of the court".
The CJP directed Director FIA and Assistant Director FIA Khawaja Hammad to appear before the bench on Wednesday whereas the DG FIA was asked to enquire from the PPO Punjab as to whether any case was registered for floating the rumour of bomb in the FIA building because ultimately building was cleared and nothing was found in it.
The CJP directed DG, FIA, that he shall himself assist Zafar Queshi as team member to investigate into the NICL case which has already been registered or if any other case is to be registered in view of the facts and circumstances which have already been noted in the judgement. The CJP said while addressing Zafar Qureshi, "Start preparing the reports, and DG, FIA, will come to you himself". The court adjourned the hearing till Wednesday.
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