Govt refuses to restore Zafar Qureshi

ISLAMABAD: Attorney General Maulvi Anwarul Haq told the Supreme Court (SC) that the government was not restoring NICL investigating officer Zafar Qureshi, Geo News reported.

Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry remarked that if the government has decided to not to follow the SC order then the court would form a judicial commission to probe into the matter.

A three-member bench of the apex court comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Khilji Arif Hussain and Justice Amir Hani Muslim is hearing a suo moto case regarding the violation of Public Procurement Rules 2004 in procurement of losses of billions of rupees to the public exchequer caused by the NICL scam.

The Supreme Court has given the government another opportunity to reinstate Qureshi and Justice Khilji Arif remarked that the "court wants national wealth to be returned" adding that it was the order of the court to allow Quershi and his team to probe the scam case.

During proceedings the Attorney General informed the court that Zafar Quereshi was not being reinstated. The court had summoned the secretary defense and secretary establishment along with the report regarding the suspension of Zafar Quershi. During proceedings CJP said that Secretary Defense had no authority to write this summary.

The hearing for the case has been adjourned till July 18.

The government on Thursday reversed the transfer order of four officials who were members of the investigation team probing the National Insurance Company Limited scam.

In pursuance of the Supreme Court's order, Acting DG FIA Chaudhry Manzoor Ahmed placed on record the notification canceling the transfer orders of four officials, Javed Hussain Shah, Muhammad Ahmed, Khalid Anees and Muhammad Sarwar.