Misuse of diplomatic passport: FIA’s plea seeking extension in ex-PM AJK physical remand rejected

ISLAMABAD: A local court on Friday rejected the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA)’s plea seeking an extension in former prime minister Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Sardar Tanveer Ilyas’s physical remand in case of misuse of a diplomatic passport to jail and sent him to jail on judicial remand.

The FIA produced Ilyas before the duty judge Ehtisham Alam for an extension in his physical remand.

The court turned down the FIA’s request and sent him to jail.

At the start of the hearing, the FIA prosecutor requested the grant extension in the physical remand of the accused to conduct a further investigation from him and recover the diplomatic passport.

The judge said that when he was no more in the office then he had no authority to hold a diplomatic passport.

Ilyas’s counsel said what they had done during the previous three-day physical remand.

Police raided his client’s residence, he said, adding that Margalla police handed over Ilyas to the FIA in violation of the law.

He requested the court to allow a medical check-up of his client as he was a sugar patient.

The court ordered the FIA to carry out a medical check-up of Ilyas.

Following the court’s order, the AJK former prime minister lawyer filed a petition before the court seeking post-arrest bail for his client.

The court issued notices to both parties and sought arguments on Ilyas’s plea today (Saturday.)

The officials of FIA produced AJK’s former premier before civil judge Abbas Shah for obtaining his physical remand registered against him for possessing his diplomatic passport after stepping down from the position of premier.

Ilyas’s legal team advocates Sabir Malik and Naveed Raza Mughal appeared before the court.

The agency requested the court to hand over Ilyas on physical remand to recover his diplomatic passport as he did not return it and also allegedly misused it after leaving the post.

The FIA prosecutor told the court that former premier AJK had violated the law and used his diplomatic passport to travel to Saudi Arabia after leaving office, which is illegal.

His [Illyas] diplomatic passport had been cancelled, yet he had failed to return it, he said.

He requested the court to grant an eight-day physical remand to recover the diplomatic passport, but the court granted only a three-day physical remand for further investigation.

The defence counsel while objecting to the prosecution’s request said his client was a former prime minister; therefore, he could use the diplomatic passport.

He requested the court to reject the FIA’s request.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024