NICL scam: FIA told to investigate alleged victimisation
The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) officials not to arrest the brother of the officer investigating the alleged fraud at the National Insurance Company (NICL), after it received reports that the officer was receiving threats of action against his family.
Justice Raja Fayyaz, who is a member of the special bench, ordered the FIA not to arrest former secretary establishment, Ismail Qureshi, in connection with an alleged illegal appointment of the former director-general involved in the Hajj scam. He gave the order in his chambers after securing the approval of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry.
The court took notice of a news report appearing in a section of the press about the FIA officer, Additional Director Zafar Qureshi, being intimidated. He was appointed by the Supreme Court to investigate the National Insurance Company Limited (NICL) land scam case.
The news report pointed out that Zafar Qureshi was being threatened by implicating his relatives, including his elder brother Ismail Qureshi in numerous cases.
However, the court directed Syed Jawed Ali Bukhari, Additional Director General, FIA, to investigate the case registered against the former secretary, establishment.
The case will now be taken up by the court again on April 8.
The court summoned all officials concerned, including Ismail Qureshi, to appear on the next hearing.
During the hearing of the NICL land scam case, Zafar Qureshi apprised the court that he was “well protected as long as he is in the court premises”, otherwise he was receiving “death threats” from various accused involved in the land deal.
Qureshi submitted on record that he was facing serious threats, adding that if anything happened to him, he would hold responsible Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, Chaudhry Wajahat Ali, Moonis Elahi, Habibullah Waraich and Mohsin Habib Waraich.
According to the order issued through a press note, Rao Shakeel Ahmed, who was appointed as the director-general, Hajj, (against whom there were NAB cases pending), allegedly failed to bring various misdeeds to the notice of the competent authority during the tenure of Ismail Qureshi as the federal secretary, establishment. Therefore, an FIR had been registered against him (Ismail Qureshi).
Published in The Express Tribune, March 25th, 2011.
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