Haj scam probe: Supreme Court tells government to remove FIA DG

Expressing dissatisfaction over the Haj scam probe, the Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the government to remove Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) director-general Waseem Ahmed in three days, as he is unable to handle the investigation independently.
A six-member bench comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Javed Iqbal, Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jilani, Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali, Justice Ghulam Rabbani and Justice Khalil-ur-Rehman Ramday was hearing a suo motu case on rampant corruption during Haj arrangements.
The bench told the attorney-general of Pakistan to decide the issue of removing the DG FIA, who is heading the probe body meant for exposing the culprits of Haj scam, in consultation with the government and submit a report to the registrar office in three days.
Justice Chaudhry observed that the DG FIA performance is not up to the mark and he may spoil the cases. He said that a person, who has been picked up for reappointment after retirement, will not be in a position to deliver, keeping the sanctity of his office intact.
Justice Ramday said that Waseem was trying to protect the culprits and changing the direction of the whole case. "The court is fed up, the way this case is being probed by the said official. Just keep this in mind that no one would be spared, if the case is spoiled," Ramday warned. The FIA also submitted a recorded statement of Interior Minister Rehman Malik regarding removal of former DG Haj operations Rao Shakeel's name from Exit Control List (ECL), in which the minister had admitted to remove his name from ECL.
Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry observed that the Interior Minister had told the court that he has the discretionary power to exclude any name from the ECL while the power rests with secretary interior. The minister also stated that Shakeel was appointed by the competent authority. When asked by the court whether the minister was knew that Shakeel was facing trial, the DG FIA told the court that he had written to secretary Establishment Division, asking him to inform about the persons who exerted pressure regarding appointment of Rao Shakeel.
But in his reply, the DG said, the Establishment Division secretary maintained that the appointment was in accordance with law. Regarding information on accounts, kept by Rao Shakeel and Hamid Saeed Kazmi in different banks of the country, Hussain Asghar, an FIA official replied that the agency checked their accounts in eight banks, but could not find any account pertaining to both the concerned persons. However, the State Bank of Pakistan was in the process of checking other banks as well, he added.
Meanwhile, Afnan Kundi, counsel for Azam Khan Swati, a former minister submitted additional two-page reply pertaining to the case. In the reply, he had alleged that certain banks are not co-operating regarding details of the accounts of the accused persons despite bringing the case into the notice of the SBP.
Swati in his statement also claimed that Rao Shakeel was facing two NAB cases and the secretary Establishment Division should be directed to explain as to why he was appointed on such a sensitive position.
The court was also informed that compensation will be given to all the affected pilgrims within two weeks. On January 6, the apex court had directed Secretary Religious Affairs Ministry Shaukat Hayat Durrani to return 700 Saudi riyals to each of 26,000 affected Hajis of five Makatib within a week. The hearing of the case was adjourned till January 20.