Notification issued: Hajj scam investigator ordered back to FIA

AG Irfan Qadir says notification on transfer issued already.

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court was informed on Friday that the federal government has issued notifications for the reinstatement of Hussain Asghar in the Federal Investigation Agency to continue probing the Hajj scam.

A three-judge bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, was hearing a suo motu case of corruption during the Hajj in 2010.

Attorney General Irfan Qadir told the court that the government has issued a notification regarding the transfer of Asghar, currently the Inspector General of Police in Gilgit-Baltistan, back in the FIA and he would report back very soon.

Noting the prompt action, Chief Justice Chaudhry appreciated Qadir for becoming a strong attorney general in contrast with his predecessor who failed to bring Asghar back.

The case has been adjourned till June 20.

On June 5, Khushnood Lashari, who also holds the charge of Establishment Secretary, informed the court that they had proposed three names to the Gilgit-Baltistan chief minister to replace Asghar as the police chief in G-B. However, he added, the chief minister was unwilling to release Asghar, citing poor law and order situation and sectarian violence in the region.

However, the court refused to accept the explanation and ordered the government to suspend the notification of Asghar as the police chief.

It had warned that if Asghar failed to report back to the FIA headquarters, strict action would be taken against him.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 9^th, 2012.