FIA inquiry against former PIA MD has been closed, SHC told

The Sindh High Court on Wednesday disposed of a petition against the initiation of an inquiry against former managing director of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) pertaining to the accumulation of assets beyond known sources of income and the transfer of undeclared money abroad, after the court was informed that inquiry had been closed by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

The petitioner, Mohammad Aijaz Haroon, submitted in his plea that the FIA had initiated an inquiry against him pertaining to charges of accumulation of assets beyond means and the transfer of undeclared money to the United Kingdom to purchase properties in his and his family members’ names.

The petitioner’s counsel submitted that the impugned inquiry was unlawful and ultra vires of the FIA’s Act, as his client was not a public servant but was in private employment as an agent of the board of directors of the PIA.

He submitted that the complaint was filed by anonymous persons and there was nothing on record to suggest that the FIA has conducted verification of the antecedents of the complainant or in any manner verified the authenticity of the complaint.

The lawyer said that it had been alleged in the complaint that the petitioner had laundered funds without providing any specific details and no such suggestion was made in the complaint that he had illegally procured funds or had remitted the same for criminal purposes.

The counsel argued that the impugned inquiry was politically motivated as the petitioner was associated with a member of Parliament and leader of political party and persons desiring to suffer damage upon the said member of Parliament were invoking all means possible to do so. The high court was requested to declare the FIA inquiry as illegal and restrain the agency from causing harassment and making arrests in the impugned inquiry.

The court was informed by the deputy attorney general that the FIA had closed the inquiry against the petitioner and such recommendations had been sent to the head office for approval.

The petitioner’s counsel expressed satisfaction over the DAG’s reply and requested the court to dispose of the petition in view of the DAG’s statement. A division bench, headed by Justice Mohammad Iqbal Kalhoro, after taking the statement of the DAG on record, disposed of the petition.

The FIA had earlier stated in comments that it had initiated the inquiry as per the law and there was sufficient material available on record which showed the accumulation of assets beyond source of income of the petitioner.

The investigation officer submitted that the petitioner was a suspect in a case registered at the FIA corporate crime circle for misusing his power and also the suspect was named in a National Accountability Bureau’s reference in Rawalpindi; hence, the aspect of obtaining funds from criminal means could not be ruled out.