ISLAMABAD:
The Supreme Court threatened on Monday to issue arrest warrants for the director-general of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) after his persistent failure to present himself before the court in its hearings on the National Insurance Company Ltd (NICL) land scam case.
FIA Chief Syed Tahseen Ali Shah is accused of violating Supreme Court orders by taking disciplinary action against the FIA’s lead investigator in the case, Zafar Qureshi, whom the court had ordered not to be removed from the case until the investigation has been completed.
Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry was presiding over a three-member bench hearing a suo motu case on allegations of financial misconduct at the state-owned NICL. The accused in the case include several high profile politicians including Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid leader and Punjab Assembly member Moonis Elahi.
“Either you are going to bring him [the FIA chief] here or we will issue an arrest warrant for him,” said the chief justice to Sohail Ahmed, the establishment secretary, one of the three senior-most civil servants in the country.
On Monday, the court reserved its judgment on the matter of reinstating Zafar Qureshi on the case. On July 14, the court had directed Attorney-General Maulvi Anwarul Haq to seek information from Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, who was facing disciplinary action – which means he cannot pursue his investigation – despite the court’s orders.
The prime minister, however, appears to be ignoring the court’s inquiries and the attorney-general has yet to file anything on Gilani’s behalf. Haq did, however, inform the court that two of the principal accused in the case, Mohsin Warraich and Moonis Elahi, have returned £1.3 million, part of the money that was allegedly embezzled out of the state-owned insurance company.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 26th, 2011.
COMMENTS (8)
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I have a feeling that the judicary will resign as hinted by Nusrat Javeed. there is no point to issue orders that are not being met and usng Article 90 would be detremintal for Pakistan, the judiciary popularity and respect would sky rocket with the resignations.
Please get hold of them these are the fatty Government servant who is enjoying on our Tax payers money. We are with you MR. CH Ifthikar Chaudery .
Instead of saying actual orders should have been passed. We are fed up with remarks in the court room with no actual results so far.
...and why has the gentleman not been arrested till now?
He must assert now otherwise SC decisions will be ridiculed
Geo Iftikhar Ch. We need leaders like him