LAHORE: Brig (retd) Muhammad Musaddiq Abbasi, Prime Minister’s Adviser on Accountability and Interior, met with FIA Lahore Zone Director Dr Rizwan on Thursday to discuss the issuance of an ordinance regarding the deployment of special prosecutors for the FIA, amendments to FIA inquiry/investigation rules, and other issues.
The PM’s aide also discussed signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for information sharing and cooperation with other monetary institutions such as the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), Financial Monitory Unit, Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan, and others during his visit to the FIA Regional Office.
The PM’s aide examined the progress of the FIA’s inquiries and FIRs on the recommendations of the sugar and petroleum commissions’ findings.
Director Rizwan briefed the adviser on the FIA’s regional performance and other issues, including 15 cases of money laundering registered on the Sugar Inquiry Commission’s report, seven cases and eight inquiries on the Petroleum Inquiry Commission’s report, eight EOBI cases under trial on the SC’s directions, and six inquiries pertaining to drug prices and the Drug Regulatory Authority Pakistan.
The adviser was also briefed on 99 cooperative housing society probes based on the recommendations of the SC forensic audit, as well as the money laundering charges of absconder Umer Farooq.
Abbasi ordered that accountability cases be resolved on the merits and without consideration for political pressure, stating that the suspect or accused should not be arrested until substantial proof is obtained.
