NICL scandal: DG FIA leaves country despite SC orders
According to Supreme Court’s orders, Shah was supposed to assist Zafar Qureshi in NICL case...
LAHORE:
The Director General Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Syed Tahsin Anwar Ali Shah left the country late on Friday in order to ‘deliberately’ avoid appearing before the Supreme Court (SC), sources revealed.
The SC summoned the DG FIA on October 25 instead of the Secretary Interior, Director and Assistant Director FIA Lahore to explain why they failed to cooperate with lead investigator of National Insurance Company Limited (NICL) multi-billion scandal Zafar Qureshi, while knowing that he was investigating the case in pursuance of the Supreme Court directives, sources familiar with the matter told The Express Tribune.
According to the Supreme Court’s orders, Shah was supposed to assist Qureshi in the NICL case investigations, but he left the country under mysterious circumstances to allegedly avoid implementing the court orders.
Justice Amir Hani Muslim had also sent a notice to the interior secretary on September 19 saying that the DG FIA’s failure to sign any progress report may lead to contempt of court proceedings. The FIA has also not submitted two fortnightly progress reports scheduled for October 6 and October 22 to the chamber of Justice Muslim.
Justice Muslim had already directed the interior secretary to ask Shah for an explanation within three days, but Shah left the country instead. He returned to Pakistan on a one-page emergency passport recently but on October 28, he again left the country as per previous practice, sources familiar with the matter revealed.
According to Supreme Court orders, Shah was bound to attend “meetings as a team member of the investigation if he had signed any documents as the DG FIA,” sources further revealed.
Shah left the country from Allama Iqbal International Airport Lahore late on Friday through Bangkok bound Thai Airlines flight TG-346 scheduled to 11:40 pm.
Sources in the FIA said that the DG FIA has gone abroad to participate in the 80th Interpol General Assembly being held at Hanoi, Vietnam, from October 31 to November 3.
The Director General Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Syed Tahsin Anwar Ali Shah left the country late on Friday in order to ‘deliberately’ avoid appearing before the Supreme Court (SC), sources revealed.
The SC summoned the DG FIA on October 25 instead of the Secretary Interior, Director and Assistant Director FIA Lahore to explain why they failed to cooperate with lead investigator of National Insurance Company Limited (NICL) multi-billion scandal Zafar Qureshi, while knowing that he was investigating the case in pursuance of the Supreme Court directives, sources familiar with the matter told The Express Tribune.
According to the Supreme Court’s orders, Shah was supposed to assist Qureshi in the NICL case investigations, but he left the country under mysterious circumstances to allegedly avoid implementing the court orders.
Justice Amir Hani Muslim had also sent a notice to the interior secretary on September 19 saying that the DG FIA’s failure to sign any progress report may lead to contempt of court proceedings. The FIA has also not submitted two fortnightly progress reports scheduled for October 6 and October 22 to the chamber of Justice Muslim.
Justice Muslim had already directed the interior secretary to ask Shah for an explanation within three days, but Shah left the country instead. He returned to Pakistan on a one-page emergency passport recently but on October 28, he again left the country as per previous practice, sources familiar with the matter revealed.
According to Supreme Court orders, Shah was bound to attend “meetings as a team member of the investigation if he had signed any documents as the DG FIA,” sources further revealed.
Shah left the country from Allama Iqbal International Airport Lahore late on Friday through Bangkok bound Thai Airlines flight TG-346 scheduled to 11:40 pm.
Sources in the FIA said that the DG FIA has gone abroad to participate in the 80th Interpol General Assembly being held at Hanoi, Vietnam, from October 31 to November 3.