PTI challenges FIA inquiry over prohibited funding case in IHC

Party urges court to restrain FIA from making arrests, conducting raids in connection with case

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) challenged the Federal Investigation Agency's (FIA) inquiry regarding the prohibited funding case in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Saturday.

In the petition, the PTI called for the FIA to be restrained from making arrests and conducting raids in connection with the case. The home secretary, DG FIA and the investigating officer were made parties in the petition.

The party accused the FIA of "harassing" party leaders on a political basis, urging the court to restrain the agency from investigating the prohibited funding case.

The PTI maintained in its plea that the party raised funds to run an anti-government movement after the 'regime change'. All funds sent from abroad were received as per the law, argued the PTI.

"The FIA inquiry and raids are illegal and should be stopped immediately," the petition said, adding that the FIA raided PTI Senator Saifullah Nyazee's house and harassed him.

A day earlier, it was reported that the FIA had taken Nyazee into custody from the premises of the upper house of parliament and transferred him to a cell.

Read IHC restrains FIA from sealing places during inquiry

When news of this development surfaced, the FIA spokesperson described the reports as “baseless and false”, adding that no wing of the FIA had taken Nyazee into custody.

However, during a news conference in Islamabad, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah confirmed that the PTI senator had, indeed, been taken into custody and if needed, would be arrested.

Another founding member of the PTI, Hamid Zaman, was also arrested a day ago by the FIA, in connection with the prohibited funding case. He was taken into custody from his office on Waris Road in Lahore.

Reports are also circulating that the FIA team had raided PTI leader Aamir Kayani’s house to arrest him. However, the agency did not issue a statement about this raid.

The house of Tariq Shafi, another founding member of the PTI and a member of the party's finance board, was also raided in Karachi. He was not at home at the time. The house was searched and two mobile phones were seized.

The FIA had kicked off its probe against the PTI in August this year after the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) declared that the party had, indeed, received prohibited funding.