Invoking the Islamabad High Court jurisdiction against Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) probe into prohibited funding case on Saturday Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf urged the court to issue restraining order in the matter.
The FIA had kicked off its probe against the PTI during August this year after the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) declared that the party had, indeed, received prohibited funding. Besides, federal cabinet of the multi-party coalition government in the Center had also approved the recommendation to file a disqualification reference against PTI Chief and former prime minister Imran Khan and ordered the FIA to launch a money laundering inquiry into fake bank accounts, allegedly used by the political party.
Making home secretary, director general FIA and investigation officer of the Agency as respondents in the matter the PTI alleged the FIA of “harassing” party leaders on a political basis. The PTI submitted the party raised funds to run an anti-government movement after the ‘regime change’, claiming all funds sent from abroad were received as per the law.
Terming the FIA inquiry and raids illegal the PTI urged the court to issue directives to respondents to stop such raids immediately. The petitioner claimed that the FIA raided PTI Senator Saifullah Nyazee’s house and harassed him a day ago.
Federal cabinet of the multi-party coalition government in the Center had also approved the recommendation to file a disqualification reference against PTI Chief and former prime minister Imran Khan and ordered the FIA to launch a money laundering inquiry into fake bank accounts, allegedly used by the political party.
A day earlier, it was reported that the FIA had taken Nyazee into custody from the premises of the upper house of parliament and transferred him to a cell. Media reported that when news of this development surfaced, the FIA spokesperson described the reports as “baseless and false”, adding that no wing of the FIA had taken Nyazee into custody. However, during a news conference in Islamabad, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah confirmed that the PTI senator had, indeed, been taken into custody and if needed, would be arrested.
Another founding member of the PTI, Hamid Zaman, was also arrested a day ago by the FIA, in connection with the prohibited funding case. He was taken into custody from his office on Waris Road in Lahore. Reports are also circulating that the FIA team had raided PTI leader Aamir Kayani’s house to arrest him. However, the agency did not issue a statement about this raid.
The house of Tariq Shafi, another founding member of the PTI and a member of the party’s finance board, was also raided in Karachi. He was not at home at the time. The house was searched and two mobile phones were seized.
