ISLAMABAD: Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) informed the apex court that no institution, including the Ministry of Interior, interfered in the cases of important persons in the government.

The FIA on Thursday submitted its report in pursuance of the Supreme Court’s directives.

A five-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ijazul Ahsan, Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi, and Justice Mohammad Ali Mazhar will resume the hearing today (Friday)on the sou motu regarding the apprehension of undermining the criminal justice system by persons in authority.

The report includes the name of persons who were removed from the Exit Control List (ECL). It said that the names were removed after the amendments in the ECL Rules. It informed that names on ECL are placed on the basis of the intelligence agencies’ reports.

The report submitted that on the request of FIA Farooq Bajwa was appointed as prosecutor in the cases against the Sharif family, including PM Shehbaz Sharif and the chief minister.

The Court in the last hearing had issued notices to the secretary Ministry of Interior, the director-general FIA, the chairman/regional directors, NAB, the prosecutor generals and advocates generals in the provinces and the ICT and the Head of Prosecution Branch in FIA and NAB.

It had barred the authorities from removing, transfers/postings of the officers engage in the investigation and the prosecution of high-profile cases.

The Court also stopped the FIA and the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) from withdrawing such cases till further orders.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022