The Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday ordered Punjab Police, Islamabad Police and National Highway & Motorway Police Inspector Generals (IGs) to arrest and produce former chairman of Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) Tauqir Sadiq, before the court on December 26.
A two-member bench comprising Justice Jawad S Khawaja and Justice Khilji Arif Hussain resumed hearing of the OGRA implementation case during the course of which, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) investigating officer Waqar Ahmed informed the bench that Punjab and motorway police were not cooperating with the authorities in the arrest of Sadiq. Following this allegation, the bench summoned Punjab Police IG Habibur Rehman and National Highway & Motorway Police IG Zaffar Abbas Luk in court to apprise the bench over these allegations. Rehman appeared before the bench and stated that Punjab police was extending full cooperation and provided assurances that the accused would be arrested soon. He further said that a senior police official from the anti-terrorism cell (ATC) was deputed with NAB to ensure cooperation.
The bench, expressing its disapproval, observed if a well known person could not be arrested through cooperation of the IG and a senior ATC officer for over three months, then how was it possible to trace other unknown persons wanted in numerous other cases. The bench inquired from Luk, on accusations by the NAB investigating officer, whether former chairman of OGRA was traveling in his jurisdiction and why no action had been taken against the accused if it were true. The IG said he had checked all records and no such vehicle entered or exited the motorway. He assured the court that motorway police would extend complete cooperation in arrest of the accused.
Sadiq hiding in Islamabad, claims Sana
Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah on Wednesday claimed that former Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) chief Tauqir Sadiq was “hiding in Islamabad”. Talking to reporters outside the Punjab Assembly, the provincial law minister said Sadiq, an accused in a multi-billion-rupee scam in OGRA, had been “provided shelter” at the Punjab Governor’s House and from there he was taken to Islamabad. “Those involved in the scam are providing shelter to the former OGRA chairman,” he said, adding that Sadiq was hiding “in one of the two big houses in Islamabad”. Sanaullah said the Supreme Court had issued orders for the arrest of the former OGRA chairman but “nobody is following the court’s order”. To a question, Sanaullah said recommendations of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) would be implemented. To another question, the Punjab law minister said the Punjab government was facing resistance from doctors regarding implementation of the Health Care Commission. He said the accused could be produced before courts after completion of judicial inquiry into the PIC drugs case. “We are not being blackmailed by doctors. It is the jobs of courts to award punishments,” he said.
