FIA reluctant to register case against NAB’s deputy chief

• Investigation agency conducts inquiry against Tajwar over financial irregularities

Despite directions from the Interior Ministry, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) seems reluctant to register a case against incumbent deputy chairman of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for allegedly misusing authority’s fund during his tenure at the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), Pakistan Today has learnt.

The investigation agency conducted an inquiry against NAB Deputy Chairman Imtiaz Tajwar over alleged financial irregularities as he was found in rampant misuse of discretionary funds worth over 6.1 million rupees, which he spent on purchasing Iphones, perfumes, paying gas bills, and membership fee of the Islamabad Club during his tenure from 2014-15 in NADRA.

“The investigation officer has forwarded the inquiry findings to FIA Director General Amlesh Khan, who is reluctant to give approval for the FIA registration against Tajwar, according to sources close to the development. The FIA director general is the competent authority to give a final approval for the registration of FIR against senior officers; however the official is being pressurised to linger on the matter as his retirement is closer.

In October last year, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan ordered FIA to launch formal inquiry against the official and FIA was asked to submit report in one month. According to the sources, the ruling party seems interested to give a charge of NAB Chairman to Tajwar in case the dismissal of incumbent NAB Chairman Qammar Zaman Chaudhry in Panama case.

It is noted that the Supreme Court (SC) had already expressed concerns during the hearing of the Panama case that the NAB chairman did not initiated any inquiry. During the hearing, the NAB chief informed the court that authority was helpless in this regard. The sources said that PM’s principle secretary Fawad Hassan Fawad has influenced FIA’s officers to linger the matter so (Tajwar) could be given a charge of NAB chairman in case the dismissal of Zaman in the Panama case.

Previously, FIA Director Mazher-ul-Haq Kakakhel was forced to linger on the matter; however he refused to do so resultantly, his acting charge of FIA director, BS-20, was withdrawn. But later, the interior minister allowed him to work on the same post. When contacted, Amlesh Khan said that he has yet not received the inquiry’s finding from the inquiry officer. Repeated attempts were made to call Tajwar, however he was not available for comments. Even he was sent text messages.