Slander suits: LHC stays proceedings against FIA investigator

PML-Q leaders had sued for damages over NICL inquiry.

LAHORE:

Justice Mahmood Maqbool Bajwa of the Lahore High Court on Monday stayed proceedings of two damages suits filed by PML-Q MNA Chaudhry Wajahat Hussain and MPA Moonis Elahi against Zafar Qureshi, the FIA investigating officer of the NICL scam.

The judge issued this order on a petition filed by Qureshi, former additional director general of the FIA, pleading that he had conducted an inquiry into the NICL scam on merit following the directions of the Supreme Court of Pakistan. He said Moonis Elahi, one of the suspects in the scam, and his uncle Wajahat Hussain had filed suits against him for libel. He said under law such suits could not be filed against the investigating officer of a case.

He said he had no personal grudge against Elahi or his family. He said he had recovered billions of rupees from the suspects.

He prayed to the court to set aside the proceedings on the damages suits pending before a civil court for being illegal.

The judge stayed the proceedings and sought replies from the respondents by March 12, the next hearing.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 29^th, 2013.