Establishment Division Secretary Sohail Ahmed on Tuesday submitted in the Supreme Court a notification signed by him stating that former Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) official Hussain Asghar, currently serving as the Gilgit-Baltistan inspector general, had been transferred back to the FIA and reassigned the task to investigate the Haj 2010 corruption case. A five-member Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry told the FIA acting director general to appear in court today (Wednesday) and ensure that the investigation team previously working with Asghar was reassigned to him as well.
At the outset of the hearing, Ahmed, the establishment secretary, told the court that the summary to repost Asghar was sent to the competent authority, however it had not been approved yet. The court, however, warned him to produce the reposting notification by 11.30am, otherwise he would be sent to jail and contempt of court proceedings would be initiated against him. The chief justice stated that under Article 190 of the constitution, all the institutions were duty-bound to comply with court orders. He said if the chief executive, the prime minister, impeded the implementation of court orders, he could also be dealt with in a legal way. The court also took strong exception to the FIA chief’s absence. However, Attorney General Maulvi Anwarul Haq told the court that the FIA chief was out of city and the Registrar Office had been informed. The notification said: “In pursuance of court’s orders of July 25 and 26, Hussain Asghar, presently posted as IG Police Gilgit-Baltistan, has been transferred and posted as Director FIA with immediate effect.” To a court query, Ahmed said that Asghar would relinquish his charge immediately and ensured the court that a police official would assume charge in his place during the course of the day.
