LAHORE, Sept 16: The Federal Investigation Agency’s chief, two other officers and a Lahore police official will explain to the National Assembly’s sub-committee on law, justice and human rights on Monday (today) as to why the agency had arrested the relatives of a ruling party woman legislator.

The anti-cyber crime unit of the agency in the first week of this month had arrested one Shoaib Aslam Zarin Khan for allegedly withdrawing over Rs9.5 million from a foreign bank by using counterfeit credit cards. The unit had already arrested khan’s son, Khan Muhammad alias Ali, for printing fake credit cards.

The in charge of the anti-cyber unit (Lahore) told Dawn that the MNA first asked the agency to release her relatives but on being refused she threatened him with dire consequences. He said the banking court, Lahore High Court and the Supreme Court had refused bail to the accused, which showed that the agency had no mala fide intentions against them. He said the MNA now had sought the intervention of NA sub-committee over the issue. He pointed out that the MNA was also the member of the sub-committee.

On the other hand, a relative of the accused told this reporter that Khan Muhammad was kidnapped by an SHO, Faisal Sharif, who was then posted in Harbanspura. She alleged that the SHO had also detained the accused along with over six other people at a private jail and extorted between Rs2 and Rs3 million from each of them for their release. Later, the SHO, in connivance with FIA, booked Khan Muhammad in a fake credit cards case, she said, adding that the agency also arrested his father for pressuring his family. She claimed that there was no complaint against both Shoiab and Khan filed by any person or bank.

She also alleged that the capital city police officer of Lahore had posted Faisal Sharif in Gulberg instead of taking action against him on the orders of a session judge.

When contacted, CCPO Malik Iqbal said a board, comprising an SSP (admin) and DSP (legal), was holding an inquiry in this regard and he could not further comment on the matter as it was sub judice.

Nawab Mirza is heading the five-member parliamentary sub-committee that will hear FIA Director-General Tariq Pervaiz, Lahore director Chaudhry Manzoor and anti-cyber crime unit (Lahore) in charge Ziaul Islam on the issue in Islamabad. The SSP (admin) will also appear before the sub-committee.

The accused has been booked under Electronic Transactions Ordinance (ETO) sections 36 and 37, and the PPC’s sections 420, 468 and 471.

Under section 36, any person who gains or attempts to gain access to any information system with or without intent to acquire the information contained therein or gain knowledge of such information, whether or not he\she is aware of the nature or contents of such information, when he\she is not authorised to gain access shall be guilty of an offence punishable with either description of a term not exceeding seven years, or fine which may extend to Rs1 million or both.

Similarly, under section 37, any person who does or attempts to do any act with intent to alter, modify, delete, remove, generate, transmit or store any information through or in any information system knowingly that he\she is not authorised to do any of the foregoing, shall be guilty of an offence punishable with either description of a term not exceeding seven years, or fine which may extend to Rs1 million or both.