Lahore:The Lahore High Court on Wednesday ordered an inquiry against Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Faisalabad Director Saqib Sultan, Inspector Ajmal Hussain and other officials over allegations that they unlawfully obtained cash and vehicles from a British national while he was in custody.
Justice Muhammad Jawad Zafar issued the order while dismissing a petition filed by private citizen Akmal Hussain, who had sought to stop an inquiry into alleged misuse of authority by FIA officials.
The court observed that incidents of this nature undermine public confidence in state institutions and held that the inquiry ordered by the Justice of Peace, Faisalabad, should be allowed to proceed.
Counsel for Pakistani-origin British national Salman Babar, Advocate Mian Dawood, appeared before the court and submitted relevant records. He said Babar, who runs a vehicle business in the UK, had returned to Pakistan after 16 years.
According to the counsel, a family dispute in the UK led Babar’s opponents to allegedly approach FIA officials in Faisalabad and, through a proxy complainant, have him and his brother subjected to what the counsel described as treatment similar to extortion.
The counsel alleged that on June 19, FIA officials summoned Babar, his brother and other relatives and forced him, late at night, to transfer Rs1 million to a bank account allegedly belonging to his opponents. He further alleged that the officials threatened the British national with fabricated cases and forced him to hand over two vehicles along with their original documents.
The counsel also alleged that the officials forced Babar to obtain stamp papers and had a transaction documented in favour of the alleged proxy complainant.
According to the records presented before the court, Babar approached a court on June 29 seeking cancellation of documents that he alleged had been obtained from him under coercion. He also approached the Justice of Peace on June 30, seeking action against the FIA officials.
The counsel alleged that following the complaint, FIA officials registered a case on July 11 against Babar and his brother, accusing them of visa fraud involving £104,000.
He said Akmal Hussain, described as a financially disadvantaged individual, was made the complainant in the case. During the inquiry, the alleged complainant reportedly failed to produce a money trail establishing the source or transfer of £104,000 or demonstrate his financial capacity to support the claim.
Despite this, the counsel alleged, the FIA officials proceeded with registration of the visa-fraud case on his complaint.
The Justice of Peace, Faisalabad, subsequently ruled in favour of the British national and ordered an inquiry against FIA Director Saqib Sultan, Inspector Ajmal Hussain and other officials.
The counsel argued that Akmal Hussain had subsequently approached the Lahore High Court as a proxy petitioner to prevent the inquiry against the FIA officials and had allegedly concealed material facts from the court.
After examining the record and hearing detailed arguments, the court expressed concern over the conduct attributed to the FIA officials.
‘Such incidents affect public confidence in institutions,’ the court observed, adding that the inquiry should be allowed to proceed.
The court held that the Justice of Peace had correctly ordered the inquiry and dismissed the petition seeking to stop the investigation against the FIA officials.