The Supreme Court on Thursday granted more time to three federal secretaries, including principal secretary to prime minister, who were issued contempt notices in a matter pertaining to the transfer of FIA investigation officer Zafar Qureshi, who was probing into the National Insurance Corporation Limited (NICL) scam. The court directed the secretaries to submit their replies by June 29.
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 FIA former director general Malik Muhammad Iqbal, who was recently transferred to another department.
The court directed the incumbent NICL chairman to present on the next hearing a report detailing the losses caused by corrupt practices and profits earned from recovering the embezzled amount. The court also directed FIA to immediately register cases against the accused and arrest them. Earlier on June 16, the court issued contempt notices under Section 17 to Interior and Establishment Division secretaries as well as the principal secretary to prime minister, asking them to file their replies by June 23.
They were directed to explain why FIA’s Additional Director General Zafar Qureshi, who was investigating the NICL scam on court orders, was transferred in haste on verbal orders by the prime minister.
