Islamabad

PTI approaches IHC for stopping FIA from conducting inquiry into prohibited funding case

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) challenged the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) inquiry regarding the prohibited funding case in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Saturday.

In the petition, the PTI called for the FIA to be restrained from making arrests and conducting raids in connection with the case. The home secretary, DG FIA and the investigating officer were made parties in the petition.

The party accused the FIA of “harassing” party leaders on a political basis, urging the court to restrain the agency from investigating the prohibited funding case.

The PTI maintained in its plea that the party raised funds to run an anti-government movement after the ‘regime change’. All funds sent from abroad were received as per the law, argued the PTI.

“The FIA inquiry and raids are illegal and should be stopped immediately,” the petition said, adding that the FIA raided PTI Senator Saifullah Sarwar Khan Nyazee’s house and harassed him.

The party has prayed the court to bar officials from conducting raids and arrests of PTI leaders. It is expected that IHC will conduct hearing on the petition tomorrow (Monday).

It merits mention that the FIA had launched probe into the PTI prohibited funding after the ECP’s findings were announced.

The investigative agency had summoned several senior leaders of PTI including former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser in connection to the inquiry.

A day earlier, it was reported that the FIA had taken Saifullah Nyazee into custody from the premises of the upper house of parliament and transferred him to a cell.

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 Khan 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.