ISLAMABAD: Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has written to the Interior Ministry to include Chairman of Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) in Exit Control List (ECL) after he was held responsible for tampering of record that was forwarded to Panamagate Joint Investigation Team (JIT).
According to the letter, FIA needs to interrogate SECP Chief Zafar Hijazi further which is why he should be banned from leaving the country. It is further stated that FIA needs to investigate why SECP officials namely Maheen Fatima and Ali Azim were pressurised and by whom to state a bogus date of closure of reference against Chaudhry Sugar Mills.
Reportedly, the interior ministry is likely to take a decision over FIA’s letter very soon. FIA was earlier tasked by the Supreme Court of Pakistan to probe the record tampering allegations of Panamagate Joint Investigation Team (JIT) head Wajid Zia. And the report filed by FIA team found truth to tampering allegations and held SECP chief responsible.
It has been disclosed that Zafar Hijazi had on June 29, 2016, ordered Ali Azeem and Maheen Fatima to close the inquiry of Chaudhry Sugar Mills in the date of January 2013. He also pressurized his subordinates to forge the records.
The report says that SECP directors Ali Azeem and Maheen Fatima have also been found guilty of negligence, and recommends departmental proceedings against the ‘irresponsible officers’. The inquiry committee recorded statements of 12 officers and found SECP chairman guilty of “misconduct by passing illegal orders and pressuring his subordinates to do illegal acts. It called for lodging a case under Sections 466, 472 PPC read with 5 (2) PCA 1947 against him.
