RECORDER REPORT

ISLAMABAD: Opposition lawmakers in Senate are set to move a resolution today (Wednesday) against chairman Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), demanding his immediate removal after he was found involved in tampering with the record of Chaudhry Sugar Mills, owned by Sharif family.

A resolution signed by some over 22 lawmakers belonging to Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) has been finalized, demanding immediate removal of SECP Chairman Zafar Hijazi, which will be moved in the Senate today (Wednesday).

“The House recommends that chairman SECP should be removed immediately from his office after registration of an FIR against him on the orders of the Supreme Court in light of recommendations of joint investigation team (JIT), on Panama Leaks case”, said the resolution.

Following the directives of the special bench of the Supreme Court overseeing the implementation of Panama Papers case verdict, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has registered an FIR against chairman SECP for tampering with official record of Chaudhry Sugar Mills.

The FIA Special Investigation Unit registered the FIR on July 10, 2017 against Hijazi under sections 466, 472 PPC read with 5 (2) PCA 1947.

Earlier, the FIA team had found him guilty of tampering with the record of the companies owned by the Sharif family, and recommended registration of an FIR against him. On June 19, a three-member bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan had directed the director general FIA to launch an inquiry into the allegations levelled by the joint investigation team (JIT) to find out whether or not the SECP had tampered with the records of the Sharifs’ companies.

The FIA team had found the chairman SECP guilty of misconduct by passing illegal orders and pressuring his subordinates to do illegal acts; therefore, a criminal case under sections 466, 472 PPC read with 5 (2) PCA 1947 has been registered against him.

The SECP chief, who is a close aide of Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, obtained 5-day interim bail from a special court on Monday last.

The opposition MPs are also going to moves another resolution demanding removal of Pakistan’s Ambassador to Serbia Syed Adil Gillani, saying he has only been handpicked on the basis of his loyalty with the ruling PML-N government.