FIA ordered to complete PTI prohibited funding case probe

An inquiry was initiated in pursuance of the Election Commission of Pakistan's judgement

KARACHI:

The Sindh High Court (SHC) has directed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to complete its inquiry against former Sindh governor Imran Ismail and others in the PTI prohibited funding case. An SHC bench was hearing petitions of Imran Ismail and other PTI leaders against the FIA inquiry into the PTI prohibited funding case.

The FIA, which submitted a reply to all the petitions, stated that the disputed bank accounts were opened in the names of the petitioners. An inquiry was initiated in pursuance of the Election Commission of Pakistan's judgment. A five-member FIA team has been conducting investigation in Karachi, the agency said and added that one of the bank accounts was also opened in the name of PTI Media Center Karachi.

The Deputy Attorney General stated that the FIA wanted to file a case but the proceedings were being affected by the court injunction. To this, the SHC bench remarked: "You should complete the inquiry soon and the court will consider the issue of injunction at the next hearing."

The hearing was adjourned until December 6.

The petitioners have taken the stance that the three bank accounts on the basis of which the inquiry was being conducted had already been closed. "An illegal inquiry has been initiated against the petitioners based on malice," reads the petition while requesting the court to declare an FIA call-up notice to the petitioners null and void.

The petitioners also prayed the court terminate the inquiry initiated against them and restrain the FIA from issuing any order till the final decision of their petitions.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, November 4^th, 2022.