PESHAWAR: A Peshawar High Court bench on Tuesday suspended the Federal Investigation Agency order to transfer an assistant director from Mardan to Islamabad and issued notices to the interior secretary and FIA director general to explain position on the matter.

Justice Ikramullah Khan and Justice Abdul Shakoor fixed Aug 30 for the next hearing into FIA assistant director Shahid Ilyas’ petition against his transfer, ruling that the July 21 order issued from the FIA Headquarters will remain suspended until then.

The petitioner, who was also part of a joint investigation team, which probed the Mashal Khan lynching case in Mardan, claims his family members, including parents, had used their political influence for his transfer as he had married against their wishes.

Saifullah Muhib Kakakhel, lawyer for the petitioner, said his client was a distinguished officer known for honesty and uprightness.

He said the petitioner was appointed an inspector to the FIA in 2002 through the Federal Public Service Commission.

The lawyer added that his client was promoted as the FIA assistant director on Aug 18, 2015.

He said the petitioner was posted from Peshawar to Mardan on Feb 28, 2017.

The lawyer said his client was married to Sahar Zareen on June 1, 2017, and the family of the petitioner was not happy with it.

He added that the petitioner’s sister was a former MPA of Pakistan People’s Party and that his family was using its influence to give a ‘tough time’ to the petitioner.

The lawyer alleged that the petitioner had received a telephonic call from FIA director Basharat Mehmood Shehzad that MNA Haji Ghulam Ahmad Bilour had influenced him to transfer him (Shahid Ilyas) from Mardan (current posting). He added that few days later, his client received the July 21 impugned order of his transfer from Mardan to the anti-corruption wing of the FIA Headquarters.

The lawyer said the petitioner’s wife served in the office of the Commissioner of Afghan Refugees Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Peshawar, overseen by the Ministry of State and Frontier Region.

He added that according to the spouse policy, the posting and transfer should be made in light of the posting of wife/husband serving in the government.

The lawyer said the normal posting tenure of the petitioner should have been three years but he had been transferred illegally and prematurely.

Published in Dawn, August 16th, 2017