FIA lines up PTI leaders for grilling in prohibited funding probe

The Federal Investigation Agency has accelerated its efforts to investigate the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf prohibited funding case as it has summoned the party leaders for grilling, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Sunday.

The FIA Peshawar has summoned former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser on Aug 11. The agency asked him to answer the questions regarding two bank accounts which he owned as per the information provided in the ECP verdict. 

The ex-speaker confirmed on Sunday that he had received the FIA call-up notice. He said that we had got all record and would present it before the FIA. 

“The PTI is the only party which has presented details of its all accounts,” Qaiser said asking the ‘imported government’ to stop using the state institutions for its political gains. He was of the view that government was afraid of Imran Khan’s popularity. 

The FIA Karachi also issued notices to ex-Sindh governor Imran Ismail and PTI leader Dr Seema Zia. Sources said the FIA also sought details from two private banks where the party was operating four accounts, which came under the radar after the ECP verdict. All four accounts, they said, were opened and operated in Karachi.

Ismail has been summoned on Aug 15 while Dr Zia got FIA call-up notice for Aug 12.

Sources said that the FIA would get details of the companies and personalities who provided funds to the PTI. The FIA teams would also get information from the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (S&ECP) and Federal Board of Revenue (FBR). 

The FIA summoned record of PTI bank accounts from the Habib Bank and Bank Islami. 

The FIA has also summoned PTI leader Mian Mehmood-ur-Rasheed for interrogation on August 11.

On Friday, the FIA initially investigated three employees of the PTI including Imran Khan’s personal secretary, the party’s General Manager Finance department and another employee.

During investigations, the employees recorded their opening statements and said that they had no knowledge of who had sent the funds and from where.

Employee Muhammad Arshad told the FIA that he did not know about the details of any senders.

Another employee named Muhammad Rafique said he did not know where the money was spent. He added that the PTI's finance department used to take blank cheques signed by him.

While employee Tahir Iqbal said the money in the accounts was paid in cash or by cheques to the party's finance manager. He added that besides other accounts, the foreign funding kept flowing into the salary account of the employees.

Reporter Samar Abbas