Buzdar ordered to join investigation or face plea dismissal

The Lahore High Court's Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh has ordered former chief minister, Sardar Usman Buzdar, to join an investigation, with a clear warning that his petition will be dismissed if he fails to comply. However, Justice Tariq rejected the law officer's request to withdraw the court's earlier order of not arresting Buzdar, and extended the stay on his arrest until May 5.

During the proceedings, Buzdar's counsel, Barrister Momin Malik, argued about the differences between the NAB's recently amended Act and Anti-Corruption Laws, shedding light on how the investigation is regulated in the NAB laws and how anti-corruption investigation rules are outdated and silent over the conversion of inquiries into FIRs.

He further argued that the petitioner and others are summoned to face inquiries, and when they appear before anti-corruption, they are confronted with ghost FIRs and arrested without any opportunity to defend themselves, which is contrary to Article 10-A of the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan 1973, as introduced through the 18th amendment to the Constitution.

In earlier proceedings, the court had restrained the Anti-Corruption Establishment Punjab and Inspector General Police (IGP) Punjab from arresting Buzdar until May 4, on his plea seeking details of the FIRs registered against him anywhere in Punjab.

During those proceedings, Barrister Momin argued that his client is being subjected to political victimization following his association with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), merely on the behest of the aforementioned respondents.

He submitted that respondents initiated various frivolous and politically motivated inquiries and investigations and converted them into "ghost FIRs" without notifying his client, merely to arrest him, in violation of the due process of law.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 5^th, 2023.