News
Friday, March 25, 2011
SC directs FIA not to arrest additional DG’s brotherStaff Report
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) not to arrest Establishment Division’s former secretary Ismail Qureshi in connection with an illegal appointment of a former director general involved in the Hajj scandal. The court also directed Qureshi to fully cooperate in the investigation being conducted against him.
Justice Raja Fayyaz Ahmed, also a member of the special bench, passed the directive in his chamber after seeking appropriate approval of Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry.
The order was passed upon a news story according to which FIA Additional DG Zafar Ahmed Qureshi, who had been appointed by this court to investigate the National Insurance Company Limited (NICL) case, was facing multiple threats.
The report claimed that he was being roped in through implicating his close relatives like his elder brother, Establishment Division ex-secretary, Ismail Qureshi, in cases.
According to the news item, the FIA had registered an FIR against Ismail and Zafar had been warned in case he did not volunteer to disassociate himself from Moonis Elahi’s case.
Justice Raja Fayyaz, in the light of the progress report submitted by FIA officer Hussain Asghar on March 22 and apprehensions expressed by Zafar Qureshi in the NICL scandal, issued notices to the former Establishment secretary on the next date of hearing on April 4.
The judge directed that investigation in the case against Ismail Qureshi be conducted by the FIA additional director general subject to final order that might be passed by this court after hearing the matter in the main case.
He also recalled that Zafar Qureshi had shared his apprehension before a three-judge bench, headed by the CJP by saying that his brother would be proceeded against.
Upon which, the CJP had questioned “You mean Ismail Qureshi. He is an honourable person. We are here to help in case if he is falsely implicated”.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk