The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday suspended operation on FIR lodged against National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Deputy Chairman Muhammad Imtiaz Tajwar on the charges of corruption and misuse of authority.
Justice Shoukat Aziz Siddiqui suspended the FIR lodged by FIA Corporate Crime Circle, Islamabad during adjudication of instant writ petition moved by the deputy chairman.
During the course of proceedings, Shah Khawar, counsel for the petitioner argued before the bench that the FIR had been lodged with mala-fide intention, ulterior motives and while eroding the provisions of the Federal Investigation Agency Act 1974 as well as its (inquiries and Investigation) Rules 2002 and was liable to be quashed inter alia.
He said that in 2014 his client was assigned the additional charge of chairman NADRA till the appointment of a regular chairman and the petitioner served as chairman (Additional Charge) in NADRA till 6 February 2016.
Since Tajwar held the additional charge of chairman NADRA in BS-22 and as per Rule 5 of the FIA (Inquiries and Investigation) Rules 2002, inquiry against him could be initiated with prior permission of the authority, specified in column (3) of Federal Anti-Corruption Council (FACC), Khawar added.
The deputy chairman had an unblemished record of 33 years of services at various important assignments in federal as well as provincial government, not a single audit observation had been observed against him during this long service profile, counsel maintained.
He prayed the bench to allow his petition while declaring initiation of inquiry and registration of FIR at Police Station FIA Corporate Crime Circle Islamabad, adding that during adjudication of instant writ petition the operation of FIR might be suspended.
After hearing the argument the bench suspended opration on the FIR.
It is pertinent to mention here that FIR had been registered against Tajwar under Section 5 (2) 47 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) on graft charges and misuse of authority during his stint as acting chairman NADRA.