PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Thursday directed the federal government to provide details of cases registered against Special Assistant to Chief Minister on Anti-Corruption Brig (retd) Muhammad Musaddiq Abbasi, Anti-Corruption Director Sidddique Anjum and Assistant Director Umar Siddique within 10 days and directed the relevant departments not to arrest them in any case until October 8.
A division bench of the PHC comprising Chief Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim and Justice Wiqar Ahmad while hearing the petition also directed the Federal Investigation Agency and other parties to submit reply in the instant case.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Advocate General Shah Faisal Uthmankhel appeared for the provincial government, Alam Khan Adinzai for the petitioners, including Brig (retd) Muhammad Musaddiq Abbasi, Anti-Corruption Director Sidddique Anjum, and Assistant Director Umar Siddique, while deputy director FIA and prosecutor National Accountability Bureau represented their respective departments.
Alam Adinzai informed the court that several cases had been registered against the petitioners by the FIA in Islamabad and various locations in Punjab. However, he said except one case, details of the other cases had not been provided despite the court directives for these details in the previous hearing.
He prayed the court for an extension in the order against the petitioners’ arrest, arguing that these were politically motivated cases and the petitioners were at risk of being arrested.However, Assistant Attorney General Daulat Khan informed the court that these were not political cases but rather cases filed against government employees.
AG Shah Faisal Utmankhel informed the court that the federal government was responsible for the entire issue. The court then directed the federal government to submit the details of all the cases filed against the petitioners. The court also extended the order preventing the petitioners’ arrest without the court permission.