Tarin booked on sedition charges

The Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) Cyber Crime reporting centre on Monday registered a first information report (FIR) against former finance minister Shaukat Tarin on charges of sedition for allegedly stalling talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The FIR, a copy of which is available with The Express Tribune, stated that Tarin with “malafide intentions and ulterior motives” induced sitting provincial finance ministers Taimur Jhagra and Mohsin Leghari to sabotage the IMF programme.

“Shaukat Tarin clearly asked the finance ministers to write letters stating that their respective ministries will not return the surplus budget to the federal government, which will critically affect the then ongoing deals between the government of Pakistan and IMF regarding the economic situation of the state,” the complaint stated.

It maintained that two phone call audio clips of the former finance minister with Leghari and Jhagra, which had gone viral, were thoroughly heard and analysed.

It said that during the inquiry, Tarin was summoned and questioned regarding the alleged clips but he failed to provide satisfactory answers.

“This implied that the accused is hiding facts regarding the instant matter and lying about his intentions and motive behind the alleged conversation."

“Such mischievous acts may disrupt public tranquillity and create an ill-will among pillars of the state. It is likely to cause a sense of fear, alarm and intimidation to every citizen of the state due to the economic situation of Pakistan. Thus, the alleged conversation is considered an act of sedition against the state,” the FIR said.

Read: Tarin fears difficult times for people

The registration of the FIR came just a day after the government allowed the FIA to arrest the former finance minister.

“An inquiry against Shaukat Tarin has been completed and the government has allowed the FIA to arrest him,” Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah confirmed while addressing a news conference in Karachi.

The investigative agency had sought the initiation of criminal proceedings on sedition and other charges against the former financial czar in connection with the audio clips wherein he allegedly attempted to employ ‘hardball tactics’ to thrust the crucial loan programme into “jeopardy”.

FIA’s cybercrime zone had sought the government’s permission for a special complaint under Section 196 (prosecution for offences against the state) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) for obtaining cognisance of offences under Section 124-A (sedition) and 505 (statements conducing to public mischief) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) in an inquiry pertaining to audio leaks pending against Tarin.

In August last year, audio leaks had surfaced in which a man, purportedly Tarin, was heard asking K-P and Punjab finance ministers, belonging to the PTI, to tell the PDM government and the IMF that they would not be able to commit to a provincial budget surplus in light of the monsoon floods that wrought havoc across Pakistan.