The Supreme Court on Thursday issued contempt of court notices to three federal secretaries, including the principal secretary to prime minister, over the transfer of the FIA officer leading the probe into the National Insurance Corporation Limited (NICL) scam.
A three-member Supreme Court bench of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Tariq Parvez and Justice Amir Hani Muslim was hearing a contempt of court case against former FIA director general Malik Muhammad Iqbal. The court served contempt notices under Section 17 of the Contempt of Court Law to secretaries of the Interior Ministry and Establishment Division and the principal secretary to the prime minister, asking them to file their replies by June 23.
They have been directed to explain why FIA’s Additional Director General Zafar Qureshi, who was investigating the NICL scam on SC orders, was transferred in haste on verbal orders by the prime minister. The court held that the verdict earlier reserved in the contempt of court case against former FIA director general Malik Muhammad Iqbal would be announced after receiving replies of the federal secretaries. Iqbal was charged with contempt of court for transferring Zafar Qureshi.
Appearing on notice, Interior Secretary Qamar Zaman Chaudhry said he had not transferred Zafar Qureshi, while Iqbal contended that the principal secretary to the prime minister had dispatched a letter for transferring Qureshi on the verbal orders by the prime minister. The Interior secretary said he had dispatched the letter to the Establishment Division secretary with a covering letter and it was he who sidelined Qureshi from the investigation.