LAHORE: Only one senior bureaucrat allegedly associated with Farhat Shahzadi appeared before the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Monday in a money laundering probe while the other three skipped the hearing.

The Lahore FIA had 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 to join investigation into the money laundering investigation stemming from the postings and transfers scam during the PTI government.

“Saleha Saeed appeared before the FIA investigators and recorded her statement while Ahmad Aziz Tarar informed that he had been busy in a training course and might join the investigation later. The other two -- Tahir Khurshid and Usman Muazzam – however did not appear before the investigators and offered no reason for skipping the hearing,” an official told Dawn.

The bureaucrats in question have been asked by the FIA 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.

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

In June, the Punjab Anti-Corruption Establishment (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.PTI: The ACE has summoned three former PTI lawmakers in a corruption probe for Aug 9.

Former lawmakers –Malik Karamat Khokhar, Sarfraz Khokhar and Nadeem Bara – are accused of illegally occupying state land and raising a structure on it.

Published in Dawn, August 8th, 2023