The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) constituted a joint-investigation team to probe its former director general Bashir Memon for his alleged role in money laundering, fraud and human smuggling, it transpired during the proceedings of a case against him on Monday.
“We have formed a JIT to probe Bashir Memon,” the counsel representing FIA told the additional district and sessions judge, informing Syed Mardan Ali Shah would head the team.
The counsel said that investigation into the matters related to Memon was still incomplete. Memon himself appeared before the court to seek interim bail, which the court extended till February 22 after hearing both sides.
The FIA has been investigating Memon for having close ties with Umar Farooq Zahoor, an alleged money launderer. Memon’s alleged role in writing to Interpol to withdraw Zahoor’s name from the red notice was also under investigation. Zahoor was wanted by various law enforcement agencies of Norway, Switzerland, Turkey and other countries.
Memon stepped down as FIA’s director general in December 2019 in protest after developing disagreements with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government over cases against opposition leaders.
On January 14, the Lahore High Court (LHC) restrained FIA from taking coercive measures against Bashir Memon in the multiple cases against him.
Justice Muhammad Amjad Rafiq granted interim relief to Memon and sought a reply from the FIA on the petition by Feb 3.
The petitioner filed the petition through his counsel advocate Mian Ali Ashfaq, submitting that the agency started three inquiries against Memon, including the one about “favouring” a suspect of money laundering and not investigating ex-husband of model Sofia Mirza to recover her daughters.
He submitted that his client was not directly nominated in the inquiries, however, he joined the same even after getting pre-arrest bail. The counsel also submitted that FIA was also making more cases against the petitioner only on political consideration.
The counsel asked the court to bar FIA from taking coercive measures against the petitioner and also provide Memon with the record of the inquiries being held against him.
Memon had accused the PM of pressurizing him to implicate members of the Sharif family, including Maryam Nawaz, the daughter of the ousted premier Nawaz Sharif in cases.
Previously, Memon had revealed that he was asked several times for cases against PML-N supremo Nawaz, President Shehbaz Sharif and Vice-President Maryam Nawaz.
Memon revealed that nothing could be found in the money laundering case against Shehbaz.
“There is nothing in this case against Shehbaz Sharif,” claimed the former FIA DG while talking to the reporters on the court premises earlier this month. He had applied for pre-arrest bail before the sessions court, apprehending that he would be arrested by the agency.
“I personally saw that case and had clearly said that it lacks merit for a case,” he further revealed.
The former DG FIA also revealed that PM Khan repeatedly asked him for a case against Arif Naqvi of K-Electric but he did not do that.
“There should have been an inquiry into the allegations but all that changed and ultimately he was made an accused,” surprised Memon over the attitude of the authorities concerned.
He warned that the FIA was being turned into a political wing, which was really damaging. He claimed that the PTI government was going to make FIA a political wing of it and asked the incumbent head of the agency to play his due role to save the sanctity and respect of the state institution.
