Zafar Qureshi was also told not to venture near the office and assume the charge of investigation into the multi-billion-rupee NICL scam because of ‘security’ threat. – File Photo

ISLAMABAD: Those who thought the NICL (National Insurance Company Ltd) court case could no longer throw up surprises were in for a shock on Tuesday. FIA’s Additional Director General Capt (retd) Zafar Qureshi disclosed before the Supreme Court that his brilliant colleagues had discovered the bomb threat to the FIA office in Lahore the night before he was supposed to resume charge of his position.

He was also told not to venture near the office and assume the charge of investigation into the multi-billion-rupee NICL scam because of ‘security’ threat.

Mr Qureshi’s testimony to the court could easily have been titled “Chronicles of a bomb hoax foretold”.

He said he had been told a day earlier not to attend the office the following day because of the bomb fear. But when he reached the office on Saturday despite the threats he was prevented from assuming his office and security officials locked the FIA building after a hoax call. Although the office was locked up, at least two FIA officers were present inside the building, Mr Qureshi alleged.

A three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, Justice Amir Hani Muslim and Justice Ghulam Rabbani had taken up the matter of assumption of charge by Zafar Qureshi to resume investigation into the NICL scandal.

The chief justice said he felt sorry for the way Mr Qureshi was humiliated, but added that sometimes one had to endure everything for the national cause.

“Prime facie we are of the opinion that Interior Secretary Khwaja Akbar Siddiq, FIA Director General Tehseen Anwar Shah, FIA Lahore Director and Assistant Director Khwaja Hamad were responsible for violating the court orders which had quashed the July 4 suspension order of Zafar Qureshi and had directed him to assume the official duty and retake the NICL investigation. We feel that this is a direct interference in the court orders and nobody will be exonerated on the grounds that he was unaware,” Justice Hani Muslim said. He hinted at framing charges against senior government officers for violating the court orders by avoiding to lend cooperation to Mr Qureshi.

The court ordered the FIA chief to cancel the leave of Javed Hussain Shah, Mohammad Ahmed, Khalid Anees and Muhammad Sarwar -- the four officers who were assisting Mr Qureshi in the NICL scam probe, but now on casual leave for different reasons. They had been shunted out to frustrate the probe but were brought back under the court orders. They are required to attend Wednesday’s court proceedings to ascertain whether they were sent on forced leave.

The FIA DG will allow these officers to join Mr Qureshi’s team without any pressure and he himself will associate with the team to facilitate the probe.

The court summoned both the director and assistant director Khawaja Hamad who had spread the bomb scare in the FIA office and ordered the FIA chief to ascertain whether or not a proper case for bomb rumours had been lodged with the Punjab police.

The court was of the opinion that the bomb scare had been intentionally spread to prevent Mr Qureshi from entering the building.

“In such situation the FIA DG is responsible to register a case under Section 505 of the Pakistan Penal Code which entails seven years imprisonment for spreading rumours,” the court observed.

It said that since the DG had not been aware of the bomb story or lodging of any complaint to the police station, he would take necessary action during the course of the day, which meant a proper registration of the case.

The FIA chief is required to inform the court about the outcome on Wednesday.

According to the rules, the court said, the FIA office could never be closed because it functioned as a police station having the authority to detain accused in a lock-up.

The court was also not happy to learn that case files had not been provided to Zafar Qureshi. The FIA DG said he was not aware of it and promised to look into the matter. He said he was not attending the office for a few days because he was not well.

Mr Qureshi alleged that despite having written letters to the secretary interior and the FIA DG he had received no cooperation.

When the DG expressed his ignorance about the handing over the case files to Mr Qureshi, Justice Rabbani said he wondered what kind of the DG he was who had no knowledge of anything. “Is this the reply? Is this the conduct of an officer,” he asked.

“There is a total hindrance, total defiance and complete violation of court orders,” Zafar Qureshi said.