Court asks FIA to arrest PM’s former adviser

Khurram Rasool is allegedly involved in multi-million LPG quota scam.

ISLAMABAD:

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday directed Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to arrest a former adviser to the Prime Minister for his alleged involvement in Rs430 million fraud case.

Justice Muhammad Anwar Kasi of the IHC directed FIA Director General (DG) Tahsin Anwar Ali Shah to arrest the PM’s former adviser on media Mian Khurram Rasool and submit reply within two weeks.

The court issued the orders on a petition filed by Pervaiz Hussain alleging that the former adviser had extorted Rs430 million on the pretext of managing liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) quota and oil export licence to NATO forces in Afghanistan.

The petitioner claimed that LPG quota and oil export licence were to be awarded to his companies, Sahara Gas and Pak Delta Enterprises.

The lawyer of the petitioner, Muhammad Waqar Rana, maintained that Rasool had extorted the amount through fake bank accounts, in connivance with his brother Shahid Mahmood and two friends, Ghulam Ghose and Zafar Jawed.

The court was informed that a report was also registered against Rasool on March 11, 2010 but he was still at large.

The accused also used fake documents on behalf of Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources and impersonated as a representative of Pak Arab Refinery (PARCO) and the petroleum secretary. On disclosure of the scam, Rasool issued four cheques for Rs630 million, but they bounced, the court was told.

The petitioner’s lawyer further said that his client then brought this scam to the notice of the then principal secretary to the Prime Minister Nargis Sethi and filed a case against Rasool.

The petitioner added that on March 19, 2011 a judge of the district courts issued warrants for the arrest of the accused, who is still at large. He contended that the FIA had so far failed to arrest the accused as he is a close aide of the Prime Minister.

“The petitioner wrote several letters to the principal secretary to the prime minister but no action was taken,’’ said the lawyer. He prayed to the court to order the FIA to arrest him so that investigation may be initiated against him.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 20^th, 2011.