Thaindian News

Islamabad, April 5(ANI): A Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) officer, who is Pakistan Interior Minister Rehman Malik’s sidekick, has not only been reinstated for the fourth time after being convicted and dismissed thrice, but also appointed to oversee his own and Malik’s corruption record.

Sajjad Haider, who is also a National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) beneficiary, has been posted as deputy director in FIA’s anti-corruption unit, where the records of corruption references against him and the Interior Minister have been kept.

The entire exercise of getting Haider reinstated was carried out in defiance of the Supreme Court’s judgment on petitions challenging the NRO, the Dawn quoted sources, as saying.

The court had also sent packing two other NRO beneficiaries- Former Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) Managing Director Adnan Khawaja and FIA’s Additional Director General (Economic Crime Wing) Ahmad Riaz Sheikh.

Haider and Sheikh were also part of a joint operation team that had arrested late Mohammad Sharif, the father of Nawaz Sharif, during the then Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto’s second term.

The Lahore High Court convicted Haider, along with his boss Malik- who was the then FIA Director, only to be pardoned by President Asif Ali Zardari.

However, a legal expert was of the opinion that the presidential pardon could remit jail sentence, but not conviction.

Haider was also recently caught holding two illegal passports, allegedly with the connivance of the passport authorities, but no action was taken against him.

Haider was not available for comments, but his lawyer Shoaib Shaheen said: “If Rehman Malik can hold a public office (his conviction notwithstanding), why can’t Haider?”

The Interior Ministry and the FIA have been advised to keep quiet on the issue. Shahid Hamid, Additional Secretary (Administration), said: “I have been strictly advised not to speak to the media directly.” (ANI)