Pre-arrest bail pleas withdrawn: FIA tells court Tareens’ arrest no more required

LAHORE: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Friday informed a banking and sessions court that arrest of Jahangir Khan Tareen (JKT) and his son Ali Khan Tareen was not required, after which the father-son duo withdrew their pre-arrest bails from the respective courts.

The FIA is investigating Tareens in cases of alleged corporate fraud, fake accounts and money-laundering. Jahangir Tareen and Ali Tareen appeared before Sessions Court Judge Hamid Hussain. They had filed petitions in case No 17/21 and 51/20. As the hearing commenced, the court was informed that the FIA investigating officer, Rana Shahwaz, who was transferred, had been returned to his post. He presented himself before the court and stated that there was no need to arrest Tareens and others at this time. He said that the FIA believed in basic human rights and the agency was reviewing the record. The investigation was still underway and arrests were not required at this stage, Rana added.

The judge asked the FIA official why his statement should not be made part of the record. At this, the IO agreed and recorded his statement. After that, Jahangir Tareen and Ali Tareen sought withdrawal of their interim bail applications.

The counsel for Tareens stated that there was no point in applying for pre-arrest bail if the investigating officer did not required arrest of his clients. The court issued orders to the FIA to inform the accused first if it needed their arrest in future. After appearing before the sessions court, Tareens attended a banking court and withdrew their pre-arrest bails from there also after the FIA took the same stance there that the agency did not require arrest of Tareens at this stage. The banking court directed the FIA to inform Tareens 10 days prior to their arrest.

After the hearing, Jahangir Tareen told the media the FIA had admitted after investigation of months that the arrest was not required. “We have submitted millions of documents to the agency for investigation,” Tareen added.

He said the FIRs had nothing to do with the budget. “We have always faced the law and will continue to face it,” Tareen added. According to the FIR against the Tareen family, a fraudulent and premeditated scheme of misappropriation of public shareholders’ money had surfaced during the course of inquiry.