LAHORE: Following the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE), the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has initiated a money laundering investigation involving senior bureaucrats allegedly associated with Farhat Shahzadi.

The Lahore FIA has summoned bureaucrats Tahir Khurshid (former principal secretary to former chief minister Usman Buzdar), former Lahore deputy commissioner Saleha Saeed and former Lahore Development Authority directors general Usman Muazzam and Ahmad Aziz Tarar.

They are scheduled to record their statements on Aug 7.

In June, the Punjab ACE had booked Mr Buzdar, Ms Shahzadi, a son of Bushra Bibi and five senior bureaucrats, including the four summoned by the FIA, in an alleged transfer-posting scam during the PTI rule in the province.

The FIA, in its notice to the summoned bureaucrats, indicated that their awareness of the investigation’s details had come to light through records reviewed by the agency. They have been asked to furnish FBR returns/declarations for the period from 2016 to 2022, details of the countries visited along with purposes, information about offshore companies and business vehicles, and assets held directly or indirectly through offshore companies or businesses by their spouses or family members.

Additionally, the FIA directed them to provide information regarding foreign currency purchases made within Pakistan since joining government service, foreign currency taken out of Pakistan, high-value credit/debit transactions, and comprehensive details of their bank accounts.

The FIA also requested them to present their posting profiles from 2018 to 2023 and explain their relationship with Ms Shehzadi.

In a separate ACE FIR, Ms Shehzadi is accused of receiving bribes amounting to Rs450 million from bureaucrats in exchange for preferred postings. The FIA also alleged that Bushra Bibi’s son, Ibrahim Manika, would also receive a portion of the bribe money. Mr Khursheed was suspected of being a front man for Mr Buzdar.

The ACE is also investigating whether Bushra Bibi received any portion of the bribe money.

Published in Dawn, Aug 5th, 2023