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Supreme Court of Pakistan. — Photo by AFP

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Friday directed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to notify Hussain Asghar at the earliest to rejoin the investigation in the Haj corruption case, DawnNews reported.

A three-judge bench of the apex court comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Jawwad S. Khwaja and Justice Khilji Arif Hussain heard the case relating to allegations of corruption and mismanagement in the 2010 Haj arrangement.

FIA officials informed the court that a notification pertaining to Asghar's appointment in the FIA had been issued by the Establishment Division, however, the official had so far failed to rejoin the agency.

The court directed the FIA to submit a progress report on the matter and adjourned the case's hearing to Oct 3.

In April 2011, the government had transferred Asghar, who was a senior FIA director at the time, and had appointed him as Inspector General of Gilgit-Baltistan because his probe into the Haj scam was allegedly leading him to the Prime Minister’s Secretariat (PMS).

However, on June 8, 2012, the Supreme Court was informed that the federal government had issued orders to immediately transfer Asghar back to the FIA so that he could rejoin the probe into the Haj scandal.

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