ISLAMABAD: The controversy over a raid at a PTI senator’s house took a new turn on Thursday when Director General Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Mohsin Butt told a committee that it was not a raid but a search operation authorised by him.

Briefing the senate standing committee on interior, which met here with Senator Mohsin Aziz in the chair, the DG FIA said that High-profile inquiries were currently being conducted by the FIA, including those against some politicians.

“No one was deflated by FIA nor have we even tried to set a bad example during these inquiries, they have only been asked to assist by handing over required devices and answering few questions,” he said, adding no one had been Ill-treated, insulted or ridiculed.

“Even If somebody tries to pressurize me, I will not victimize anyone at any cost,” he remarked. He acknowledged that he granted the permission to seize the equipments during the search operation. He stressed that it was not a raid but a search operation carried out after getting a search warrant.

He said Senator Saifullah Khan Nyazee assisted during the operation and he himself handed over the equipment.

Senate sub-committee formed to probe the ‘raid’

He said everything was done according to the Law. He reiterated that policewomen were present during the operation at Senator Saifullah Khan Nyazee’s house but Senator Saifullah Khan Nyazee and Senator Fawzia Arshad denied this very statement of DG FIA and said that no women were present during the raid.

After discussing the matter at length the committee unanimously decided to form a sub-committee under the convenorship of Senator Kamil Ali Agha to further probe the matter.

Other members of the committee include Senators Faisal Saleem and Rana Maqbool. The proposal for formation of the sub-committee came from leader of the House in the opposition Dr Shahzad Wasim and was also supported by Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah.

The Sub-committee will probe the matter keeping in view theterms of references (TORs) as compiled by the Chairman Committee. These include

1. Was the website, on the basis of which raid was conducted, an undercover website?

2. Were the Policewomen accompanied the raiding party while carrying out the incursion at the house of Saifullah Khan Nyazee?

3. Was permission taken from the Chairman Senate before the raid at the house of Senator Saifullah Khan Nyazee?

4. Whether did the police and FIA authorities had the search warrant at the time of the raid?

The meeting was attended by Senators Azam Nazeer Tarar, Moula Bux Chandio, Rana Maqbool Ahmed, Faisal Saleem Rehman, Shahadat Awan, Fawzia Arshad, Kamil Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed Bugti and Dilawar Khan while Senators Dr Shahzad Waseem, Azam Khan Swati, Shibli Faraz showed as special invitees.

Minister of Interior Rana Sanaullah, Secretary Interior, DG FIA, Chief Commissioner Islamabad and IGP Islamabad were also in attendance.

At the outset, the committee chairman and members of the opposition benches expressed their displeasure over the absence of SP Imran Haider who issued a search warrant for carrying out the raid. They were of the view that Imran Haider was the relevant person to be questioned rather than listening to the rest of the high officials. “We had issued summon to Imran Haider, but he did not appear before the committee. This is a question of respect for the parliament,” Committee Chairman Mohsin Aziz remarked adding that the raid conducted at the House of Senator Saifullah Khan Nyazee was against the law and rules of the Senate.

Published in Dawn, September 23rd, 2022