The recently-reinstated Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Additional Director General Zafar Qureshi is still facing difficulties in conducting the investigation into the National Insurance Company Limited (NICL) scam due to lack of cooperation of his fellow team members.
Sources in the FIA revealed on Monday that the investigators and the prosecutors of agency were not cooperating with the FIA ADG. Qureshi, right after assuming the charge of FIA ADG, had been trying to hold a meeting with the investigators and prosecutors to direct them in certain matters pertaining to the investigation but they were allegedly avoiding the meeting.
On Friday, before Qureshi’s arrival, the FIA officials left their offices and switched off their mobile phones while on Saturday the meeting had to be cancelled because of a bomb hoax. On Monday, when Qureshi reached his office, he found only two assistant directors, Muhammad Ahmed and Khalid Haneef, present there, the sources said. Qureshi summoned Assistant Director (Legal) Zia Islam and Zulfiqar Chaudhry to consult them about their appearance in court on Tuesday (today) but they did not comply with his orders. According to the sources, Deputy Director Basharat Shehzad had gone
to perform Umra while Deputy Director Javed Shah was absent due to “sickness” and Inspector Muhammad Sarwar could not be contacted. An FIA officer seeking anonymity said it was a clear violation of the Supreme Court orders wherein the court had asked the FIA DG to facilitate Qureshi in the investigation process.
The sources said Qureshi had informed the Supreme Court, the interior secretary, the FIA DG and the FIA Lahore director that he could not conduct a transparent investigation into the case unless the relevant record and investigation team were not made available to him. In his letter, Qureshi also asked for the cancellation of the leave of his team members.
The sources claimed that the senior FIA officers had also misplaced the files and other record of the NICL scam. They claimed that the government was trying to pass August 16, when Moonis’ lawyer will plead for his acquittal in court on the basis of non-availability of evidence. The FIA prosecutors will argue in court on today (Tuesday).
