Lashari, ex-FIA bosses invite court’s ire
The Supreme Court orders the FIA to take action against two of its former director generals.
ISLAMABAD:
The Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered the Federal Investigation Agency to take action against two of its former director generals along with the principal secretary to the prime minister for ‘shielding’ an accused involved in a fraud case.
The court took exception to the absence of DG FIA Tehseen Anwar Shah, who reportedly left for London to attend to a ‘certain official job’. He was ordered to present Khurram Rasool Butt, the purported media coordinator to the Prime Minister on Northern Pakistan Television, before the court on Tuesday.
Headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, the bench directed the FIA to record the statement of petitioner Pervaiz Hussain and others, who have accused the man of fraud.
The bench sought action against the top government officials – Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister Khushnood Lashari and former DGs Waseem Ahmed and Malik Iqbal – for not bringing Butt to book.
Rasheed A Razvi, the petitioner’s counsel, informed the court that the accused was being shielded by influential office-holders, who blocked the FIA from arresting the
accused in violation of the court order.
Rizvi said that Butt conned two companies – the Sahara Gas (pvt) Limited and the Pak Delta Enterprises (pvt) Limited – by deluding them into signing fake agreements for Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) and a licence for the export of oil to Nato forces in Afghanistan.
Rizvi said that Butt and his brother Shahid Mehmood, along with one Ghulam Ghose, managed to forge the signature of the Petroleum and natural resources secretary on various agreements.
The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources and Parco informed the petitioners that no amount was received by them for or on behalf of the petitioners.
Rizvi pleaded that Butt also allegedly got the support of officials of a bank in Islamabad where, he said, accounts were opened under a fake partnership, without observing the State Bank of Pakistan’s instructions in opening a new account. The inquiry found Butt guilty and an FIR was registered against him, his brother and other accomplices and officials of the Islamabad bank.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 25th, 2012.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered the Federal Investigation Agency to take action against two of its former director generals along with the principal secretary to the prime minister for ‘shielding’ an accused involved in a fraud case.
The court took exception to the absence of DG FIA Tehseen Anwar Shah, who reportedly left for London to attend to a ‘certain official job’. He was ordered to present Khurram Rasool Butt, the purported media coordinator to the Prime Minister on Northern Pakistan Television, before the court on Tuesday.
Headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, the bench directed the FIA to record the statement of petitioner Pervaiz Hussain and others, who have accused the man of fraud.
The bench sought action against the top government officials – Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister Khushnood Lashari and former DGs Waseem Ahmed and Malik Iqbal – for not bringing Butt to book.
Rasheed A Razvi, the petitioner’s counsel, informed the court that the accused was being shielded by influential office-holders, who blocked the FIA from arresting the
accused in violation of the court order.
Rizvi said that Butt conned two companies – the Sahara Gas (pvt) Limited and the Pak Delta Enterprises (pvt) Limited – by deluding them into signing fake agreements for Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) and a licence for the export of oil to Nato forces in Afghanistan.
Rizvi said that Butt and his brother Shahid Mehmood, along with one Ghulam Ghose, managed to forge the signature of the Petroleum and natural resources secretary on various agreements.
The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources and Parco informed the petitioners that no amount was received by them for or on behalf of the petitioners.
Rizvi pleaded that Butt also allegedly got the support of officials of a bank in Islamabad where, he said, accounts were opened under a fake partnership, without observing the State Bank of Pakistan’s instructions in opening a new account. The inquiry found Butt guilty and an FIR was registered against him, his brother and other accomplices and officials of the Islamabad bank.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 25th, 2012.