The Federal Investigation Agency has suspended Additional Director Sajjad Bajwa, also a member of the sugar inquiry commission, for allegedly leaking information of the investigation to a federal minister, reported Dunya News on Wednesday.
According to the channel, it was discovered after initial investigation that the additional director was acting as an informant for some sugar mill owners. He was reporting details about the ongoing inquiry to Federal Minister Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar, it alleged.
Moreover, the FIA officer reportedly also misled the inquiry commission by reporting false details about the sugar mill of Khusro Bakhtiar’s family. Inquiry against the officer began after contradictions were found between information given by Bajwa and other officers, the report added.
FIA officials have apprised Prime Minister Imran Khan of this development and monitoring of other officers in the inquiry commission has been heightened, it added.
The channel’s report did not contain Khusro Bakhtiar’s comment on the issue.
The commission formed to finalise forensic reports on sugar and wheat crises sought more time to complete the investigation into the scam, a local media outlet had reported on Tuesday.
According to reports, the government was likely to give commission two to four more weeks to complete the investigation. The government was giving more time to the commission to clear the confusion in the report.
The commission will now present the report in May instead of April 25.
Following the reports that had named several Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders, Prime Minister Imran Khan had said that he was waiting for the detailed forensic reports, slated to come out on April 25, before taking any action against those responsible.
In a Twitter thread, he had said, “I await the detailed forensic reports now by the high-powered commission, which will come out on 25 April, before taking action. God willing, after these reports come out no powerful lobby will be able to profiteer at the expense of our public.”
“After these reports come out no powerful lobby will be able to profiteer at the expense of our public,” he said, adding that the initial reports into sudden price hikes of sugar and wheat have been released immediately without and “alteration or tampering”.
“This is unprecedented in Pakistan’s history. Previous political leaderships because of their vested interests and compromises lacked the moral courage to order and release such reports,” the prime minister had added.
The inquiry report on sugar crisis had named senior PTI leader Jahangir Tareen, Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid’s (PML-Q) Moonis Elahi and the relatives of Minister for National Food Security Khusro Bakhtiar as the beneficiaries of the price hike.
According to Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Accountability Mirza Shahzad Akbar, Imran had ordered “stern action” against those found involved in the crises “irrespective of their status and party affiliation”.
A local media house claimed that the prime minister and members of the inquiry commission had been ‘threatened’ with “dire consequences” if the reports were made public.
