NICL scam: Govt refuses to reinstate Zafar Qureshi
Govt defies Supreme Court orders to reinstate the additional DG FIA, says he has violated code of conduct.
ISLAMABAD:
The government on Thursday refused to reinstate FIA Additional DG Zafar Qureshi and submitted a reply to the Supreme Court in this regard.
The Supreme Court had earlier directed the Attorney General Maulvi Anwarul Haq to present Qureshi's reinstatement orders to the court by 11:30 am today.
The Attorney General responded to the court's request, and said that Qureshi has violated the code of conduct and will, therefore, not be reinstated.
The court also ordered disciplinary action against DG FIA, Tehseen Shah for defying court orders of reinstating Qureshi.
Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry said the Supreme Court might appoint a High Court judge to probe allegations against Qureshi if the reinstatement orders were not presented on time. He told the AGP that newspaper reports indicate political interference in the transfer of Qureshi.
The chief justice also directed the Attorney General to hand over the investigation into the NICL scam to the four FIA officials, who have been reinstated recently.
Justice Chaudhry also took notice of an advertisement on the media about the case.
The court also assured Qureshi of complete protection after he complained that he and his family members are being harassed.
Yesterday (Wednesday), the CJ directed the AGP to summon the interior secretary and acting DG FIA to cancel the transfer orders of the four officials who were associated with Qureshi in the NICL scam investigation, failing which, he said they would be sent straight to prison.
Updated from print edition (below)
Suspend all notices to Qureshi, says SC
All notices issued to Additional Director-General (DG) of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Zafar Ahmad Qureshi, the lead investigator in the National Insurance Company Limited (NICL) land scam, should be suspended, the Supreme Court (SC) ordered on Wednesday.
The apex court restricted the interior secretary or any other authority from initiating departmental proceedings against Qureshi in the
future, without seeking prior permission from the court.
Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) Maulvi Anwarul Haq and Qureshi appeared before a three-member bench, headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhary, that resumed the hearing of the suo motu case pertaining to the violation of Public Procurement Rules 2004 in the procurement of land in NICL, which caused the national exchequer losses worth billions of rupees.
The AGP submitted before the bench that he intimated the court’s orders for annulling the transfer orders of four FIA officials who were part of the investigation team, adding that the DG FIA left for England on July 11 for an official commitment and would return on July 20.
Expressing annoyance over the obvious defiance of the court’s orders, the chief justice said that the DG had three days to revert to the transfer orders, but he had not. He asked him why the court’s orders had not been obeyed.
The chief justice said that the media was being used to propagate against the superior judiciary.
The chief justice also said that rumours were being floated around to undermine the case and the judiciary, and directed the federal information secretary to look into the matter and take necessary action. He further remarked that the court was competent and authorised under Article 190 of the Constitution to take any step in the concerned case.
“Inform everyone about Article 190. We are willing to go the extra mile in this case. We are neither afraid nor will we bow down before anyone. Attempts are being made through the media to bend the court in this manner.”
The chief justice directed the AGP to summon the interior secretary and acting DG FIA to cancel the transfer orders of the four officials who were associated with Qureshi in the NICL scam investigation, failing which, he said they would be sent straight to prison.
The court expressed displeasure about why a show-cause notice had been served to Qureshi when the apex court had directed that all disciplinary action against him should be stopped.
The AGP informed the court that the interior secretary had served Qureshi a show-cause notice because he had been speaking to the media.
An hour later, the AGP appeared before the bench and said that both officials were in Quetta for a special cabinet meeting on Aghaz-e-Haqooq-e-Balochistan, which is why it was impossible to get in touch with them.
Following that, the court adjourned the hearing till Thursday (today).
Published in The Express Tribune, July 14th, 2011.
The government on Thursday refused to reinstate FIA Additional DG Zafar Qureshi and submitted a reply to the Supreme Court in this regard.
The Supreme Court had earlier directed the Attorney General Maulvi Anwarul Haq to present Qureshi's reinstatement orders to the court by 11:30 am today.
The Attorney General responded to the court's request, and said that Qureshi has violated the code of conduct and will, therefore, not be reinstated.
The court also ordered disciplinary action against DG FIA, Tehseen Shah for defying court orders of reinstating Qureshi.
Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry said the Supreme Court might appoint a High Court judge to probe allegations against Qureshi if the reinstatement orders were not presented on time. He told the AGP that newspaper reports indicate political interference in the transfer of Qureshi.
The chief justice also directed the Attorney General to hand over the investigation into the NICL scam to the four FIA officials, who have been reinstated recently.
Justice Chaudhry also took notice of an advertisement on the media about the case.
The court also assured Qureshi of complete protection after he complained that he and his family members are being harassed.
Yesterday (Wednesday), the CJ directed the AGP to summon the interior secretary and acting DG FIA to cancel the transfer orders of the four officials who were associated with Qureshi in the NICL scam investigation, failing which, he said they would be sent straight to prison.
Updated from print edition (below)
Suspend all notices to Qureshi, says SC
All notices issued to Additional Director-General (DG) of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Zafar Ahmad Qureshi, the lead investigator in the National Insurance Company Limited (NICL) land scam, should be suspended, the Supreme Court (SC) ordered on Wednesday.
The apex court restricted the interior secretary or any other authority from initiating departmental proceedings against Qureshi in the
future, without seeking prior permission from the court.
Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) Maulvi Anwarul Haq and Qureshi appeared before a three-member bench, headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhary, that resumed the hearing of the suo motu case pertaining to the violation of Public Procurement Rules 2004 in the procurement of land in NICL, which caused the national exchequer losses worth billions of rupees.
The AGP submitted before the bench that he intimated the court’s orders for annulling the transfer orders of four FIA officials who were part of the investigation team, adding that the DG FIA left for England on July 11 for an official commitment and would return on July 20.
Expressing annoyance over the obvious defiance of the court’s orders, the chief justice said that the DG had three days to revert to the transfer orders, but he had not. He asked him why the court’s orders had not been obeyed.
The chief justice said that the media was being used to propagate against the superior judiciary.
The chief justice also said that rumours were being floated around to undermine the case and the judiciary, and directed the federal information secretary to look into the matter and take necessary action. He further remarked that the court was competent and authorised under Article 190 of the Constitution to take any step in the concerned case.
“Inform everyone about Article 190. We are willing to go the extra mile in this case. We are neither afraid nor will we bow down before anyone. Attempts are being made through the media to bend the court in this manner.”
The chief justice directed the AGP to summon the interior secretary and acting DG FIA to cancel the transfer orders of the four officials who were associated with Qureshi in the NICL scam investigation, failing which, he said they would be sent straight to prison.
The court expressed displeasure about why a show-cause notice had been served to Qureshi when the apex court had directed that all disciplinary action against him should be stopped.
The AGP informed the court that the interior secretary had served Qureshi a show-cause notice because he had been speaking to the media.
An hour later, the AGP appeared before the bench and said that both officials were in Quetta for a special cabinet meeting on Aghaz-e-Haqooq-e-Balochistan, which is why it was impossible to get in touch with them.
Following that, the court adjourned the hearing till Thursday (today).
Published in The Express Tribune, July 14th, 2011.