Tauqeer Sadiq’s escape shameful for state machinery: SC

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Monday observed that the escape of Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) former Chairman Tauqeer Sadiq from the country was a shameful incident for the state machinery, asking how a person involved in Rs82 billion corruption took flight.

A two-member bench of the apex court, comprising Justice Jawad S Khawaja and Justice Khilji Arif Hussain, heard a case pertaining to the arrest of Tauqeer Sadiq.

The court ruled that both the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and police would be dealt with according to the law for their failure to apprehend Tauqeer Sadiq.

Appearing on the notice, Punjab Inspector General of Police Haji Habibur Rehman informed the court that a three-member team had been sent to Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, to arrest Tauqeer Sadiq.

The IGP said that the spouse and two daughters of the former Ogra chairman had flown to Kathmandu some days ago, adding that they suspected that Tauqeer Sadiq might be there too. Hence, a three-member team had been dispatched to Nepal to arrest Tauqeer.

The court asked the IGP how the family of Tauqeer Sadiq went to Nepal. The IGP replied that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) could be in a better position to inform the court as he said the FIA was dealing with such cases at the airport.

Later, the court summoned the FIA in the matter on which Azam Khan, Director Legal, FIA, told the court that the wife and two daughters of Tauqeer Sadiq left for Kathmandu on December 10 from Karachi airport.

He, however, told the court that they had no record of Tauqeer Sadiq, adding that his name was put on the Exit Control List (ECL) on January 25, 2012, but since then they had no information about his whereabouts.

During the hearing, Justice Khilji Arif Hussain remarked that no one was interested in nabbing Tauqeer Sadiq despite the fact that he was responsible for the loss of Rs82 billion to the national kitty but not a single penny had yet been recovered from him.

Justice Jawad S Khawaja observed that if Tauqeer Sadiq was not arrested, NAB and the police would be dealt with according to law.

Deputy Prosecutor NAB Fauzi Kazim informed the court that one Shahzad Bhatti, said to be the front man of Tauqeer Sadiq, had been arrested and a sum of Rs6 million was recovered from him.

Later, the court directed NAB to submit a comprehensive report on January 2 about the arrest of Tauqeer Sadiq and adjourned further proceedings of the case.

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