FIA seeks Axact bank accounts, assets, employees’ details

KARACHI: The FIA has asked the administration of Axact to provide information about its bank accounts, details of the educational institutions issuing online degrees, assets of the company and details of its employees. Shahzeb Khanzada stated this in the beginning of his analysis on IT company, Axact in the Geo News’ programme, ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Saath’ on Wednesday.
Shahzeb Khanzada pointed out that the US State Department had, in very clear words, denied having any link with Axact.The FIA authorities, after a raid at the offices of Axact, stated they found 30 tetra bite data from Axact. Investigation into the data would require at least fifteen days. The Cyber Crime Circle has also been tasked to recover the data taken away.
Shahzeb said the statement of CEO Axact, Shoaib Sheikh that Axact rendered back office services gave rise to many questions. If it is so, how the patrons of the universities mentioned in the report of the New York Times are the same persons. Why is it so that the same person is speaking as professor on one website and is seen working in another position on another?
Shoaib Sheikh has not replied why documents of different universities were found from the offices of Axact. He has also not replied to the question why the US foreign ministry denied having any link with Axact. How come you are issuing documents with signature of present foreign secretary John Kerry and his predecessor?
Shahzeb pointed out that documents of universities found from Axact had the name of the company written on them. They do not show the company was working as their outsource. It is also to be explained why documents of those universities were found from the premises of Axact.
Shahzeb said Shoaib Sheikh stated that meagre amount of tax payment was because the IT exports are exempted from payment of tax until 2016. If one believes that argument then the name of Axact should be there in the list of exporters issued by the State Bank of Pakistan, contrary to this the name of Axact is not even among the IT exporters, while Shoaib claims that his company tops the list of IT exporters of the country. The internal audit report of the FBR also says that Axact had sought wrong tax claims. Shahzeb pointed out that the New York Times stands by its report on Axact. It is regrettable adverse and defaming reports about Pakistan are taking rounds at home and in the international media, Shahzeb said.
The New York Times has also published today its editorial and it is understood that the editorial of a newspaper supporting its report clearly means it stands firm with its reporter. The editorial said it is difficult to believe that Pakistan government was not aware of the affair of Axact. However, there is no other option left for the government except taking action against the company. The editorial also demanded of the US Congress to take stern action.
According to the NYT story, Axact controls eleven percent of the entire fake degree business being carried throughout the world. There are always evidence of crimes committed on the internet, said former Additional DIG FIA, Ammar Jafri. He said the FIA will conduct legal analysis of the computers seized from Axact. It will be seen what is the link of these computers with the IP addresses and what is the link with all their routes, where the crime was committed. In case the data from the computer has been destroyed, the FIA has the capability to recover it. Jafri said he is very much hopeful that the team of the FIA would succeed in tracing out the real culprits.
He said hundreds of domain companies have been registered with singlehot.com and privacy is obtained on payment of extra fee at the time of registration so that no one could know as to who obtained those domains.
In addition to its website, Axact also has freeinsaaf.com. It appears the coding pattern appears to have been ‘cut and paste’. He said the coding pattern of all websites should be checked. How is it possible that more than 250 websites are only on one pattern? The time slots of the servers should be checked and coming to a conclusion would be possible to come to the conclusion that would prove that the crime was committed by one team. The Safoora incident was a challenge for the Sindh Police, said IG Sindh Haidar Jamali. The achievement of the police has been lauded by Prime Minister, the Army Chief and Sindh chief minister, which is a matter of pride and honour for us. He said they arrested perpetrators of the crime after extensive investigation of three days.
Sophisticated weapons and equipment used for terror acts were recovered from them. He said the members of terrorists group have code names. And in addition to the Safoora incident, it is also involved in the murders of Sabeen Mahmud, in attack of American woman Debura Lobo, in attacks on offices of Pakistan Navy, in suicide attacks on Brigadier Basit of Pakistan Rangers, in hurling grenade on schools, in attacks on Bohri community, and attack on the mobile van of the Preedy police.