ISLAMABAD, July 11: A three-member joint investigation team (JIT) is probing a case registered against the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) officials, including its director general, for providing false evidence to the Supreme Court of Pakistan regarding dual nationality of a legislator, sources told Dawn.

They said the JIT was constituted by the Inspector General of Islamabad Police, Bani Amin Khan, who is also supervising the investigation. The team includes Assistant Inspector General of Police Tahir Alam Khan, Subdivisional Police Officer (Secretariat Circle) Hassan Iqbal and the SHO of Secretariat police station.

The team recorded the statements of 10 officials of the FIA, including Director General Fayyaz Lehgari, and a deputy director.

Advocate Anjum Waheed, who was the petitioner in the dual nationality case, also recorded his statement with the JIT.

Sources said submission of false evidence to the court by the FIA had already been established, but the investigation team would find out whether this was a deliberate act on part of the agency to malign the legislator and get an order issued from the apex court against him or a result of negligence.

Besides, it will also investigate whether the record submitted to the court, including the details about the MPA from Mandi Bahauddin, Tariq Mehmood Alloana, was rechecked, verified and matched with his CNIC and photo.

During the preliminarily investigation, it was revealed that the petitioner - Anjum Waheed - had submitted an application to the office of the FIA director general, seeking the traveling history of three passports – two Pakistanis and one US – held by Mr Alloana.

In response, the DG forwarded the application to a deputy director who with the help of FIA’s personal identification secure comparison and evaluation system (PISCES) checked the details and found that there was no traveling history against the Pakistani passports but the US passport was used for traveling.

However, the PICES did not approach Nadra for confirmation, verification and identification of the passport holder, as the applicant did not mention the full name of the holder and his status.

Besides, it was also revealed that the report was neither issued from the office of the DG FIA nor under his approval and signature, the sources said, adding so far the FIA chief had been found innocent in the case. The report is likely to be submitted to the apex court on Friday, they added. The FIA officials had submitted the record to the apex court, claiming the MPA held dual nationality.

The record was signed by a deputy director of the FIA.

The name, father’s name and date of birth of the passport holder were identical with that of the MPA except his mother’s name. On July 4, the SC had ordered its additional registrar to lodge a criminal complaint against the FIA director general and other officers for providing misleading information showing the MPA as the dual national of US and Pakistan. The court had asked the IGP Islamabad to supervise the investigation and submit weekly report to the court registrar.

In response, the Secretariat police registered a case against the FIA officials on the charges of PPC 192 (fabricating false evidence), 193 (punishment for false evidence) and 197 (issuing or signing false certificate).