KARACHI: Rasheed Shaikh, an officer of BPS 22, posted as Director General , Custom Intelligence at FBR, Islamabad, Dost Muhammad Principal Appraiser, Directorate of Intellligence & Investigations, Pakistan Custom Karachi and other officials were booked in FIR 548/2021 on allegation of firing at Muhammad Zubair Gheewala of Zubair Steel with intention to commit
“Qatl-e-Aamd”.
The FIR was lodged perusant to an order passed by District & Sessions Judge, East in a private complaint filed by Muhammad Zubair Gheewala against Dost Muhammad Principal Appraiser and others. The DJ East perused an Enquiry Report prepared by SP Jamshed Division, Karachi, East which was forwarded to SSP. AIG and IG Sindh.
The District Judge observed that as per report prima facie contention by the complainant Zuabir were supported. The Court disposing of the applications under section 22-A 7 B directed the SHO of Ferozabad PS to record the statement of the complainant and if a cognizable offence is made out, FIR be lodged.
The police mechanically lodged the FIR converting the complaint moved by the complainant before Inspector General Police, Sindh.
As per complainant on 3-4-2021, at around 2200 hours, complainant left his house with his driver Roz Khan alias Dost Muhammad from his bungalow. His car was chased and fired at by unidentified men riding Vigo vehicles. One of the fires hit his car injuring his driver. The firing was made to kill me, alleged M Zubair Gheewala of Zubair Steel.
As per complainant, the heel of his driver who was at driving seat at the time of incident was injured. The car struck footpath at which Gheewala ran away and took shelter in a bungalow while his driver was taken into custody by the raiding party of Pakistan Customs. Gheewala was turned over to raiding party after two hours long negotiations with owner of the bungalow where he took shelter. Both were brought to the D.I.T office and were produced before the trial court on 4-4-2021 when they were remanded to judicial custody. Roz Khan was sent to JPMC for medical examination wherein as per report he had a “lacerated, bleeding wound/bruise in sole of left leg”. No mention of injury from a fire arm was mentioned in the Medico Legal Report.
The complainant/accused in fresh FIR in which he was arrested, was produced before the trial court judge along with co-accused and injured driver Roz Khan. None of them complained of any maltreatment while in custody. They both were later admitted to interim bail.
The complainant then on 23-04-2021 filed an application with IG Sindh levelling allegations of attempted murder etc which application was received and on passed for legal action. In the meanwhile, the complainant approached the Sessions Court.
Interestingly, police was required to seek permission from high-ups to register FIR against a senior most government official. The police failed to see his role as an accused as he was stationed at Federal Capital, Islamabad.
The police also failed to verify the allegation of firing at the accused and if so occurred whether his vehicle bore bullet holes and whether any independent witness was available.
Dost Muhammad, Principal Appraiser in reply to allegations levelled in application under section 22-A & B has denied the same and maintained that he was being dragged into baseless case as counterattack for perusing cases of money laundering, tax evasion etc by the accused and his accomplices including Muhammad Abdullah who are importers of Steel Sheets and have caused evasion, loss of legitimate revenue worth billions of rupees in a mega scam spreading over almost a decade. These allegations are yet to be proved but the present FIR in which officials have obtained pre-arrest bail is a classic example of abuse of section 22-A & B.
Rasheed Shaikh, Director General, Intelligence, Pakistan Customs, has decided not to obtain bail on ground that Ferozabad police acted illegally and have not followed the SOPs which requires of police to seek prior permission from authorities concerned before booking a BPS 21 officer.
As per main accused Principal Appraiser Dost Muhammad, logically the complainant must have named Director, Deputy Director and Additional Director D.I.T also in the FIR but only the DG was targeted as he ordered investigations and action against complainant party and PA Dost Muhammad is leading the action in field against alleged money launderers and tax evaders.