Former Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) additional director general (ADG) Zafar Qureshi would appear before the judicial commission, probing political intervention into the investigation of NICL scam, today (Tuesday).
The one-member commission comprising a judge of the Supreme Court, Justice Ghulam Rabbani, was set up by the SC in its August 8 order after Qureshi levelled serious allegations pertaining to political intervention in the investigation process of the NICL scam by Interior Minister Rehman Malik.
According to the Terms of Reference of the commission, it would determine the facts regarding Malik’s meeting with Qureshi and giving him four options including giving the SC in writing that he was himself quitting the investigations, going on a long leave, leaving the country or if none of the above three was possible then to bail out the main accused in the scam, Moonis Elahi. The commission would also fix responsibility as to who was behind the media campaign which suggested that Moonis was innocent and identify the real culprits behind running a mega vilification campaign against the superior judiciary.
It would also see whether the decision to suspend Qureshi was taken in a meeting between Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani and PML-Q leaders Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Pervaiz Elahi in presence of Malik held on July 4. Qureshi has already submitted an affidavit before the commission in this regard.
The commission has summoned many other people, government officials and the attorney general Pakistan to ascertain facts in the hearing. The commission will submit its report to the chief justice of Pakistan after completion of its work. Qureshi, who retired on September 30, submitted his interim progress report in Rs 5 billion NICL scam with the Supreme Court on the same day, complaining that he faced severe resistance from DG FIA and interior secretary in completing the investigation in the mega scam. During a previous meeting of the commission, Malik did not turn up before the judicial commission despite notice, to question Qureshi for his statement alleging that Malik had pressurised him to quit investigation of NICL scam. Instead of appearing before the judicial commission, Malik filed an application stating that he would appear along with his legal attorney, for which he sought some time. Interior Secretary Siddique Akbar filed his affidavit before the commission stating that he did not have any one-on-on meeting with Qureshi regarding the NICL scam, saying Qureshi’s statement that he was also pressurised by the interior secretary was baseless.