‘Conspiracy’ against IMF talks: FIR against Tarin includes sedition charge

ISLAMABAD: The Cyber Crime Reporting Centre (CCRC) of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has lodged the first information report (FIR) against former federal finance minister Shaukat Tarin (Syed Shaukat Fayaz Ahmed Tarin) under Section 20 of PECA [Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act], read with 124-A (Sedition) and 505 PPC (Statements conducing to public mischief).

Before registration of the case, the FIA concluded an inquiry into an audio leak of a conversation of Shaukat Tarin with Taimur Saleem Khan Jhagra and Muhammad Mohsin Khan, in which he allegedly incited the then provincial finance ministers of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab with mala fide intentions and ulterior motives, the FIA sources said.

The case has been registered on the complaint of one, Arshad Mahmood, son of Ghulam Sarwar. In the FIR, provisions of sedition and incitement have been added. Federal Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah had already told the media that the government had given permission to the FIA for lodging FIR and to arrest the former minister.

Director General (DG) FIA Mohsin Hassan Butt confirmed the report when contacted by this correspondent, saying that arrest of Shaukat Tarin would be the next step of the process of the case.

The FIA sources said the immediate arrest of Shaukat Tarin could not be possible as he was out of the country for the last month; however, people engaged in the investigation of the case would wait for his arrival in Pakistan.