LAHORE, Sept 28: Additional Director General of FIA Zafar Qureshi, who retires on Friday, has 'changed' his opinion about members of his team investigating the NICL scam, saying they are “honest, dedicated, hardworking and professional”.

In his final report on the NICL scam probe submitted to the Supreme Court, Mr Qureshi has praised his team members whom he earlier declared “non-cooperative and accused them of helping the accused”.

He said in the report: “Deputy-directors Basharat Shahzad and Javid Shah, assistant directors Khalid Anis and Muhammad Ahmed and Inspector Muhammad Sarwar, the members of my team, had extended full cooperation to me. I had found them honest, dedicated, hardworking and professional. They had worked in good faith, bonafidely, honestly and fairly.

“This team had also faced victimisation. Necessary instructions regarding the grant of indemnity, safety of life and job for the entire team against any action at any forum may please be provided.”

He also informed the apex court about threat to his life. “The level of threat has increased manifold after my statement/affidavit highlighting the details of my meeting with Interior Minister Rehman Malik.”

He requested the court to provide him security after attaining superannuation.

Mr Qureshi, however, did not directly accuse anyone in the FIA of authorising the de-freezing of accounts of the accused.

“During the course of investigation certain accounts of the accused and related thereto were frozen under section 5(5) of the FIA Act 1974 having balance of more than Rs20 million which were illegally de-freezed by the officers of this agency during the period of my suspension and disassociation with the investigation. The matter is under probe to fix responsibility,” he said.

Earlier, Mr Qureshi had written to the interior secretary and his boss (FIA DG Tahseen Anwar Shah) urging them to take legal action against Director Lahore Waqar Haider and Assistant Director (legal) Zulifqar Ali for their role in de-freezing the accounts.

Zulifqar Ali had also submitted a written complaint against Mr Qureshi accusing the latter of detaining him for several hours at his office to get a statement of his choice against Moonis Elahi, one of the accused in the NICL scam.

The FIA has started an inquiry against the three officials for levelling allegations against each other.

Mr Qureshi was suspended four times during the investigation into the NICL scam. He came to limelight when he arrested Moonis, son of former Punjab chief minister Pervaiz Elahi.

The FIA has arrested 13 people, including former NICL chairman Ayaz Khan Niazi. Three other main accused -- Mohsin Habib Warriach, Amin Qasim Dada and Javed Syed -- are at large.