SHC summons girl stopped by FIA from going to UK

Girl's father is accused of fraud and has gone into hiding.

KARACHI: A girl who was stopped by the Federal Investigation Authority (FIA) from leaving the country because her father is involved in a fraud case was told to appear in court on January 14.

A division bench of the Sindh High Court (SHC) ordered the girl’s lawyer to produce her before the court so that she can record her statement before the FIA.

The bench comprising Chief Justice Sarmad Jalal Osmany and Justice Imam Bux Baloch heard on Tuesday a petition filed by Ayeman, the daughter of Feroz Aslam who is wanted by the FIA in a fraud case.

Deputy Director Syed Israr Ali also appeared before the court, along with the investigating officer (IO) of the case. They said that the father of the petitioner, and other members of her family, have gone ‘underground’ and despite its best efforts, the FIA has not been able to trace their whereabouts.

The petitioner’s counsel said that the girl was leaving for the UK, as her classes for the new session (January onwards) were about to start. However, FIA officials, including respondent Inspector Najeebullah, who are posted at the Benazir Bhutto International Airport in Islamabad, had prevented her from boarding her flight on December 25, 2010. They had confiscated her passport and other documents. She was also asked to appear before the FIA authorities in Karachi. The counsel submitted that Ayeman is ready to appear before the IO to record her statement, but she should be allowed to go to UK for her studies.

The FIA and other persons, who were swindled out of millions of rupees by Feroz Aslam, opposed the plea. To a query by the bench about Ayeman’s role in the fraud, the FIA counsel failed to produce any evidence.

The only point of contention is that her father’s company is in her name but this is not a good enough reason to stop her from leaving the country, the bench said.

The judges asked the FIA officials if the girl had been arrested or was being held in their custody.

“She is not in our custody. We just wanted her to appear before the IO and cooperate in the investigation, which we are carrying out because every day complainants come to our office and demand that their money be recovered,” said Israr Ali, pointing to the people present in the courtroom, who had been allegedly defrauded by Aslam.

“The entire family has gone missing and she is the only one we can locate,” the official told the court.

The bench recorded in its order that according to the FIA DD, no evidence is available against the petitioner. However, it ordered the counsel for the petitioner to produce her before the court on January 14, after which she could be examined by the IO.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 12^th, 2011.