Abdul Qadir Gilani inquiry: Probe chief fails to justify reopening of inquiry

Hussain Asghar looks biased against Gilanis, say two NA panel members.

ISLAMABAD:

The Federal Investigation  Agency’s (FIA) Special Investigation Unit Director, Hussain Asghar, failed to provide documents on Wednesday before a National Assembly panel to prove grounds on which he re-launched investigations against MNA Abdul Qadir Gilani in the Hajj corruption case.

The National Assembly Standing Committee on Rules of Procedure and Privileges is probing the alleged breach of privilege of Qadir Gilani by Asghar to explain his taking of a bullet-proof vehicle from former Director General Hajj, Rao Shakil.

At least two members of the committee, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Express Tribune that Asghar looks biased against the Gilanis.

“From the proceedings of the committee so far, it looks like Hussain Asghar went beyond his mandate and was biased against Qadir Gilani,” said one member of the committee.

“He has not provided the grounds on which he re-launched investigations but he looks biased,” said the other member.

Standing Committee Chairman, Chaudhry Abdul Ghafoor, told journalists in his briefing that Asghar told the committee he did not bring with him the documents to show why he re-launched the investigations.

“He [Asghar] said he can show the documentary evidence that merited issuing of notices to two Gilanis [the other being former premier Yousaf Raza Gilani], particularly Qadir,” Ghafoor said. Asghar was asked to appear before the committee at its next hearing on December 3 with documentary evidence, he added.

He said the statements of both Asghar and Director General FIA Muhammad Anwar Virk were recorded. Ghafoor did not divulge the details of the statements.

He said the committee was trying to ascertain if Asghar committed a breach of privilege of an MNA. Virk told the committee that Asghar was not answerable to him in the case.

Ghafoor said Qadir maintains that his bullet-proof vehicle case was settled after the man who accused him, MPA Imran Shah, withdrew his statement against him. The investigators cooked up his statement to use it against Qadir Gilani, Shah had said. After his withdrawal of the statement, the FIA investigators were directed to charge Shah for making false statements and misleading the investigations. An FIR was registered against him and investigations were under way, Ghafoor said.

It was not clear why Asghar again issued notices to Qadir Gilani in the same case, instead of pursuing Shah for providing false statements and misleading the investigators, Ghafoor stated.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 22^nd, 2012.