The Supreme Court was informed on Thursday that passport of former chairman Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) Tauqeer Sadiq had been cancelled and instructions had been sent to the Interpol for arrest orders against him.
A two-member bench of the apex court comprising Justice Jawad S. Khawaja and Justice Khilji Arif Hussain heard the OGRA scam case pertaining to orders for Tauqeer Sadiq’s arrest where the judges expressed annoyance over authorities’ failure to arrest the former OGRA chairman.
During the hearing, Counsel for the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) informed the court that Tauqeer Sadiq’s passports had been cancelled.
The Director Legal Federal Investigations Agency (FIA) told SC that instructions had been sent to the Interpol for arrest orders against Tauqeer Sadiq, adding that red-warrants against the former OGRA Chairman could not be issued until he was declared an absconder.
National Highways & Motorway Police Inspector General Zafar Abbas Lak told SC that those officers, who had got information regarding arrival of Tauqeer Sadiq, had not informed the authorities. He added that those officers have been suspended and investigations against them have been launched.
Then, the SC has directed the NAB to submit a comprehensive report regarding performance and progress of authorities in the case.
Subsequently, the SC adjourned hearing of the case till 10th January.
Earlier on January 2, the SC had ordered Punjab Police to submit report who were behind Tauqeer Sadiq’s escape from the country and ordered NAB to submit interim report regarding what actions have been taken so far to enforce apex court’s orders
Earlier this week, the NAB and police officials expressed their helplessness in arresting the former OGRA Chairman by the December 31 deadline given by the court and informed a two-judge bench hearing the case that he had escaped to Nepal.