PHC stops FIA inquiry against Asad Qaiser

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) has stopped the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) from conducting an inquiry against the former speaker of the National Assembly and leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Asad Qaiser till the next hearing into the case.

Asad Qaiser had appro­ached the PHC against a notice served on him by the FIA in the prohibited funding case. A division bench of the PHC comprising Justice Shakil Ahmad and Justice Kamran Hayat in a short order questioned the FIA whether the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) or the federal government had issued directives to the agency to conduct an inquiry into the case.

The agency was directed to respond within 14 days and tell the court if it was within its jurisdiction to conduct the probe. The counsel for the former speaker argued that the FIA had no authority to conduct an inquiry into the case and only the ECP could probe into such matters. He continued that the ECP had issued a notice in this regard and he would defend his client there.

The FIA had summoned Asad Qaiser as well as other PTI leaders in the prohibited funding case. Those issued notices were directed to appear before the respective zonal offices of the FIA in the inquiry.

The former speaker had recently told the media that the accounts were opened for the salaries of staff and other expenses and only Rs2.1 million transactions had been made through the accounts in the last six years.