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Published 31 May, 2012 10:57am

SC wants Haj scam investigation officer back

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Thursday directed Secretary Establishment Division and Secretary Interior to implement its orders pertaining to the cancellation of a notification over transfer of former FIA official Hussain Asghar by June 5.

Asghar had been tasked to investigate the Haj arrangements corruption case and is currently serving as Inspector General Police Gilgit-Baltistan.

A three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, Justice Jawwad S. Khwaja and Justice Khilji Arif Hussain in its order on a suo motu case regarding alleged corruption in Haj arrangements said that if both secretaries failed to implement its orders, they should appear in person and explain the reason.

The bench noted that its orders of Aug 21, 2011 and May 2, 2012 had not been implemented.

The bench observed that there were precedents in the recent past in which transfers of police officials were cancelled by concerned authorities without seeking consent of these officers.

It said that these officers were serving the Government of Pakistan, which was empowered to transfer and post them wherever required.

There were precedents in which under the court's directives, such transfers were withdrawn, the bench added.

During the course of proceedings, the bench asked deputy attorney general Mohammad Shafi Chandio to explain the reason for not implementing its orders.

The bench also stopped Azam Khan, director legal FIA, for offering explanation over the issue.

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