The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has arrested Chairman Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), Zafar Hijazi, after Special Judge Central, Tahir Mehmood, cancelled his bail appeal.
Hijazi was officially arrested today following allegations of tampering records related to the Sharif family.
On July 17, a lower court had granted him a five day pre-arrest bail against two surety bonds of Rs. 250,000. Prior to that, Zafar Hijazi had filed for a pre-arrest bail, under Section 498 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Pakistan, citing medical reasons as the basis of his request.
It must be mentioned that an FIA team had found him guilty of tampering the records for the companies owned by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his family.
The team submitted a 28-page inquiry report to the Supreme Court (SC) on July 9 which endorsed what had already been reported by the JIT probing the Prime Minister’s family. The Supreme Court of Pakistan had recommended a First Information Report (FIR) to be filed against him.
Read More: FIA to File FIR Against SECP Chairman over Record Tampering
Hijazi’s lawyer had argued that SECP staff did not tamper any records of Chuadhry Sugar Mills (owned by the Sharif family) under any threats or duress. SECP Chairman had taken the stance that both officers who had tampered the records, did so of their own accord.
His lawyer also added that Maheen Fatima, one of the SECP employees, made no mention of being threatened to tamper the records. He went on to say that Abid Hussain is a director and isn’t instructed or ordered by the SECP Chairman.