ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court has dismissed two petitions filed by the suspended chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), Zafar Hijazi, in the record tampering case of companies owned by the Sharif family.
After hearing arguments from both sides, Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kiyani had reserved the judgment on March 7. It was announced on Monday.
In an application filed by Hijazi’s counsel, the former SECP chairman had challenged the special court’s judgement of November 10, 2017, requesting to set aside the trial court’s order and acquit the suspect.
Hijazi filed another application under section 249-A (power of the magistrate to acquit accused at any stage) of the Criminal Procedure Code for summary disposal of an FIR which was dismissed by the court on November 10. The special court Judge Irum Niazi dismissed the application observing that there was sufficient evidence to proceed against Hijazi.
In the other petition, Hijazi then asked the court to quash the FIR against him in a case pertaining to tampering record of the Sharif family’s companies. He said SECP officials – Maheen Fatima, Tariq Ahmed, Ali Azeem, Tahir Mahmood and Abid Hussain – were allegedly involved in the matter and he had been falsely implicated.
Hijazi was nominated in the case by the FIA on the directives of the Supreme Court, which was hearing the case against the Sharif family in connection with the Panama Papers revelations. The case was registered on July 10, 2017, and Hijazi was arrested on July 21. He has been on bail since August 8, 2017.
Published in Daily Times, March 27th 2018.
