High treason case: FIA investigators to grill Musharraf soon
Delay attributed to lack of response from former president’s collaborators.
FIA investigators to grill Musharraf soon. PHOTO: AFP
ISLAMABAD:
Former president General (retd) Pervez Musharraf will soon be questioned by a four-member investigation team of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on grounds of treason charges for subverting the country’s constitution.
The probe into the high treason case against the former president is moving at a slow pace and a member of the FIA investigation team said that lack of response from former president’s collaborators was causing the delay.
“To question the main accused, the investigation team first needs information on certain aspects of the case from his collaborators,” said the FIA official adding that despite notices issued to them, former prime minister Shaukat Aziz, then officials of the interior ministry, certain military officials and others were yet to appear before the probe team and record their statements.
The investigation agency issued notices to former premier Aziz, former interior minister Aftab Khan Sherpao, then interior secretary Kamal Shah, police officers in-charge and a dozen other people.
However, a majority of them have not replied to the FIA’s notices, as most of them currently do not reside in Pakistan.
The team was scheduled to question Musharraf in August but the interrogation was delayed due to lack of responses.
In the meantime, a senior member of the team Additional Director Azam Khan retired last month. The government is yet to announce a new investigation officer.
“The investigation into the case is still at inquiry stage and it will take time to complete. The team will formulate a fact-sheet after inquiry and then present it to the federal government,” said the FIA official.
The probe team has already interviewed many people including police officers in-charge at the time of November 3, 2007 emergency.
Advocate Taufiq Asif, one of the petitioners in the treason case against the former president, was also quizzed by the FIA team. The high treason case is different from a normal criminal case because the federal government, itself has to be complainant in the case.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 2nd, 2013.
Former president General (retd) Pervez Musharraf will soon be questioned by a four-member investigation team of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on grounds of treason charges for subverting the country’s constitution.
The probe into the high treason case against the former president is moving at a slow pace and a member of the FIA investigation team said that lack of response from former president’s collaborators was causing the delay.
“To question the main accused, the investigation team first needs information on certain aspects of the case from his collaborators,” said the FIA official adding that despite notices issued to them, former prime minister Shaukat Aziz, then officials of the interior ministry, certain military officials and others were yet to appear before the probe team and record their statements.
The investigation agency issued notices to former premier Aziz, former interior minister Aftab Khan Sherpao, then interior secretary Kamal Shah, police officers in-charge and a dozen other people.
However, a majority of them have not replied to the FIA’s notices, as most of them currently do not reside in Pakistan.
The team was scheduled to question Musharraf in August but the interrogation was delayed due to lack of responses.
In the meantime, a senior member of the team Additional Director Azam Khan retired last month. The government is yet to announce a new investigation officer.
“The investigation into the case is still at inquiry stage and it will take time to complete. The team will formulate a fact-sheet after inquiry and then present it to the federal government,” said the FIA official.
The probe team has already interviewed many people including police officers in-charge at the time of November 3, 2007 emergency.
Advocate Taufiq Asif, one of the petitioners in the treason case against the former president, was also quizzed by the FIA team. The high treason case is different from a normal criminal case because the federal government, itself has to be complainant in the case.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 2nd, 2013.