Hajj scam case: SC seeks report from FIA on Abdul Qadir’s degree

SC asks Hussain Asghar to confine himself only to investigations of Hajj scam case.

ISLAMABAD:

The Supreme Court on Friday sought a report from the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Abdul Qadir Gilani’s complaint that the agency is crossing its limits by investigating the authenticity of his degree.

A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry heard the Hajj scam case with special reference to Abdul Qadir’s application.

On Saturday, the son of the former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, had requested the apex court, to disassociate FIA director Hussain Asghar from the Hajj scam case, claiming that the officer was partial. Abdul Qadir also sought a restraining order against Asghar, and wanted the probe into his bachelor of arts degree to be dropped.

Qadir Gilani’s counsel, Abdul Hafiz Pirzada, also told the court that FIA was harassing his client by pursuing an issue that was beyond the agency’s mandate.

The Supreme Court asked Hussain Asghar to confine himself only to the investigations of the Hajj scam case, rather than straying into other matters.

“You should focus on the investigations of the Hajj scam case. If there is any issue with Qadir Gilani’s degree, then some other department will look into it,” the chief justice said.

Asghar informed the court that the documents from the customs department have confirmed Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s parliamentarian Imran Ahmed Shah’s allegations, that a car worth Rs20 million, was given to Abdul Qadir by ex-director general Hajj operation Rao Shakeel.

Pirzada argued that Asghar is spoiling the case, as the car was imported in 2009, while the apex court looked into the case in 2010.

During the proceedings, the chief justice also issued notices to Deputy Attorney General Dil Mohammad Alizai and FIA to obtain more details on the Hajj scandal and adjourned the case till January 21.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 12^th, 2013.