Preliminary report: FIA suspects Zahid Hamid played role in 2007 emergency
Shaukat Aziz’s cabinet approved emergency in the morning session.
The FIA panel concluded that Zahid Hamid was allegedly involved in preparing a draft of the declaration which was presented to Aziz’s cabinet. PHOTO: FILE
ISLAMABAD:
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) suspects a significant role was played by Zahid Hamid, the incumbent minister for science and technology, and at least two dozen other top officials and political aides of former prime minister Shaukat Aziz in the imposition of emergency rule in 2007.
Sources told the Express Investigation Cell that the FIA has mentioned this in a preliminary report and sought permission from the government to expand its probe to others possibly involved in the case. However, the government has yet to respond to the FIA’s request.
An FIA panel comprising Additional Director General Khalid Qureshi, Director Hussain Asghar and Director Maqsood ul Hasan mentioned in their report that there was an urgent need to investigate those who may have abetted former president Pervez Musharraf in this instance in order to fulfill the legal requirements of the high treason case against the former army chief.
“Other than Pervez Musharraf, the FIA wants to question Shaukat Aziz’s top aides who played a direct or indirect role in the imposition of emergency rule in November 2007,” the FIA’s preliminary report stated.
According to sources, the FIA’s preliminary report had confirmed that imposition of emergency rule was illegal and a case can be registered against Musharraf. The report urged for the expansion of the investigation to other officials involved.
The FIA’s record states that the emergency rule was approved by Shaukat Aziz’s cabinet during its morning session on November 3rd, 2007. The cabinet meeting was attended by Zahid Hamid as well as other ministers. Emergency rule was imposed later that evening. Sources said the meeting’s record was provided to the FIA’s investigating team by the relevant authorities.
The FIA team has recorded statements of around two dozen top political and legal aides of Shaukat Aziz’s government and these statements were made a part of the report submitted to the interior ministry. Those whose statements were recorded by the FIA team include former governors, chief ministers, former secretary interior and the principal secretary to Pervez Musharraf.
The FIA panel concluded that Zahid Hamid was allegedly involved in preparing a draft of the declaration which was presented to Aziz’s cabinet. Despite having adequate evidence of Hamid’s role in the two weeks of consultation that had led to the imposition of emergency rule, the FIA panel was unable to summon Hamid to record his statement.
Similarly, the FIA inquiry team did not issue any notice to then-prime minister Shaukat Aziz to question him. The team limited itself to questioning those government officials and legal aides who had either retired or were of low stature.
The absence of Pervez Musharraf’s statement in the FIA’s report also raises a question on its credibility. The FIA panel had scheduled a meeting to record Musharraf’s statement but it submitted the report to the interior ministry without any recorded statement. Hamid was unavailable for comments despite repeated attempts to contact him.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 17th, 2014.
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) suspects a significant role was played by Zahid Hamid, the incumbent minister for science and technology, and at least two dozen other top officials and political aides of former prime minister Shaukat Aziz in the imposition of emergency rule in 2007.
Sources told the Express Investigation Cell that the FIA has mentioned this in a preliminary report and sought permission from the government to expand its probe to others possibly involved in the case. However, the government has yet to respond to the FIA’s request.
An FIA panel comprising Additional Director General Khalid Qureshi, Director Hussain Asghar and Director Maqsood ul Hasan mentioned in their report that there was an urgent need to investigate those who may have abetted former president Pervez Musharraf in this instance in order to fulfill the legal requirements of the high treason case against the former army chief.
“Other than Pervez Musharraf, the FIA wants to question Shaukat Aziz’s top aides who played a direct or indirect role in the imposition of emergency rule in November 2007,” the FIA’s preliminary report stated.
According to sources, the FIA’s preliminary report had confirmed that imposition of emergency rule was illegal and a case can be registered against Musharraf. The report urged for the expansion of the investigation to other officials involved.
The FIA’s record states that the emergency rule was approved by Shaukat Aziz’s cabinet during its morning session on November 3rd, 2007. The cabinet meeting was attended by Zahid Hamid as well as other ministers. Emergency rule was imposed later that evening. Sources said the meeting’s record was provided to the FIA’s investigating team by the relevant authorities.
The FIA team has recorded statements of around two dozen top political and legal aides of Shaukat Aziz’s government and these statements were made a part of the report submitted to the interior ministry. Those whose statements were recorded by the FIA team include former governors, chief ministers, former secretary interior and the principal secretary to Pervez Musharraf.
The FIA panel concluded that Zahid Hamid was allegedly involved in preparing a draft of the declaration which was presented to Aziz’s cabinet. Despite having adequate evidence of Hamid’s role in the two weeks of consultation that had led to the imposition of emergency rule, the FIA panel was unable to summon Hamid to record his statement.
Similarly, the FIA inquiry team did not issue any notice to then-prime minister Shaukat Aziz to question him. The team limited itself to questioning those government officials and legal aides who had either retired or were of low stature.
The absence of Pervez Musharraf’s statement in the FIA’s report also raises a question on its credibility. The FIA panel had scheduled a meeting to record Musharraf’s statement but it submitted the report to the interior ministry without any recorded statement. Hamid was unavailable for comments despite repeated attempts to contact him.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 17th, 2014.