SC told: Transfers of all Hajj scam investigators quashed

Repatriation of Javed Bukhari and Hussain Asgher to be approved by PM.

ISLAMABAD:

The government informed the Supreme Court on Friday about quashing the transfers and postings of Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) investigators who were tasked to probe Hajj corruption by the apex court, reinstating them back to their original positions.

Senior Advocate Hafeez Pirzada submitted before a four-member special bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry that a summary for notifying the repatriation of Javed Bukhari and Hussain Asgher to their previous positions have been sent to Prime Minster Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani in compliance of the Supreme Court’s order. Notification would be issued after approval from the prime minister, who is currently on a foreign tour.

The chief justice remarked that there was some progress in the case in connection with Hussain Asgher, but since he was detached from the probe, no progress had been made in the case. The government suffered a loss of Rs460 million because of this corruption. “This money belongs to the nation and it would be recovered at any cost,” the chief justice said.

The court ordered Director-General FIA Malik Iqbal to submit the record of applications of Hussain Ashger and Javed Bukhari in which they requested to detach them from the case, adding that if there were no such applications, why did he make this statement before the court that they had requested the transfer themselves.

Later, the court adjourned hearing till May 13th.

During the previous hearing, the Supreme Court warned the government to withdraw the notifications on transfers of FIA officials investigating the Hajj scam, failing which the court will pass an order for their cancellation.

Secretary Establishment Chaudhry Abul Rauf told the court that the services of Hussain Asgher were required by the Sindh government which was denied by the establishment. The government promoted him as the Inspector-General of Police, Gilgit-Baltistan. He had been transferred after FIA wrote to the establishment that the investigation officer of National Insurance Company Ltd (NICL) scam Addl DG Zafar Qureshi had completed his assignment.

DG FIA Malik Iqbal requested the court for more time to seek the prime minister’s directions in this regard.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 7^th, 2011.