Supreme_Court_AFP_7_670
Supreme Court of Pakistan. — Photo by AFP

ISLAMABAD: During Friday's hearing over a petition filed by Abdul Qadir Gilani, the son of former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, against the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for allegedly harassing him, the Supreme Court issued notice to the agency while directing it to submit a reply on Jan 21, DawnNews reported.

A three member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry resumed the hearing over a petition filed by Abdul Qadir Gilani.

Qadir, who was also elected member of the National Assembly on July 19 last year after winning a by-election from NA-151, Multan, had filed a petition alleging that Hussain Asghar, the investigating officer in the Haj corruption case, had lost impartiality and that Asghar was harassing him.

While giving his remarks, Justice Iftikhar said the petition should be dealt separately from the Haj corruption case, which the  court would not let go off easily.

Mr Gilani, responded and said that the investigating officer had moved the investigations from the Haj corruption case and was probing his bachelors degree.

Chief Justice Iftikhar replied and said that the investigating officer should restrict himself to the probe.

Hussain Asghar informed the court that the former prime minister, Yousuf Raza Gilani was not co-operating with the investigations.

Justice Gulzar Ahmed said that Yousuf Raza Gilani is not a prime minister  now and enjoys no immunity.

Chief Justice Iftikhar added that the court would decide on Jan 21 over the statement of former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani regarding the Haj corruption case.

The son of the former prime minister was included in the Haj corruption case after Pirzada Syed Imran Ahmed Shah, a Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N) member of the National Assembly from Sahiwal had accused Qadir Gilani in a statement dated Dec 22, 2010 of receiving a luxury bullet-proof Land Cruiser from the former director general Haj, Rao Shakeel Ahmed, the principal accused in the scam.

However, after about one-and-a-half years, the MNA changed his stance and accused the FIA of cooking the story in order to trap him.

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