Political wrangling: Inquiry confirms ‘abduction’ of Sharif family aide

Joint inquiry committee, however, does not say FIA men were involved.

LAHORE: A joint inquiry committee (JIC) formed by the federal government to investigate the ‘abduction’ of a former employee of the Sharif family has confirmed in its report that the man was briefly seized on May 3, this year, The Express Tribune has learnt.

However, the committee would not say that Federal Investigation Agency (FIA)’s officials were involved in the abduction of Muhammad Akram, a former accountant at the Sharif family-owned Ittefaq Steel Mills, as was claimed by him in an FIA registered case with the Shadman police station on May 7, sources said.

The investigation officer (IO) of the case, Abid Shah, on the other hand wrote to FIA’s Punjab chapter Director Waqar Shah claiming that the agency’s staffers were involved in the abduction.

The IO confirmed to The Express Tribune that he has written a letter to the FIA chief and that he has not received a reply yet. He added that if the FIA director did not reply, then summons would be issued against him under the relevant sections of the Criminal Procedure Code.

Aslam Tareen, the capital city police officer (CCPO) of Lahore, told The Express Tribune that the deputy inspector general (DIG) of police (investigation branch) has sought details of FIA’s vehicles and staffers from FIA Director Waqar Shah.

If the FIA chief refuses to cooperate or shows reluctance, then the provincial police would adopt the legal course, CCPO Tareen added without elaborating.

The joint inquiry committee, which comprises officials from the FIA, ISI, IB and Punjab police, has completed its probe and sent its report to the federal government. The Punjab police had refused to cooperate with the JIC, saying instead that the FIA should cooperate in the police investigation.

The JIC, because of lack of cooperation from police, has recommended that a judicial inquiry be conducted into the abduction of the Sharif family aide.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 15^th, 2012.