ISLAMABAD The case of issuance of 32,000 fake arms licences in the Interior Ministry has taken a new turn as along with Shehzad, the main accused of this case, the names of some influential bureaucrats have come to surface. Ansar Nawaz Mirza, Special Public Prosecutor FIA, apprised a three members bench of the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chuadhry that Shehzad along with other officials used to prepare cheques, which were signed by Imtiaz Qazi, now posted as Secretary Education. Replying to a query of the bench regarding arrest of the Secretary Education, FIA official said they had to seek permission from Federal Anti-Corruption Council in this regard. On this the bench remarked that FIA could require no permission for his arrest, as law was equal for everyone. Justice Chaudhry Ejaz Ahmed remarked, It is the duty of investigation agency to bring truth to surface. The Chief Justice remarked, When there are ifs and buts, the ratio of crime will increase. He stressed that law was equal for all as underlined in numerous judicial verdicts of the apex court and in Islamic injunctions. Earlier, Director General Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) apprised the bench that Khizer Hayat, former Additional secretary Ministry of Interior, had been arrested for his alleged involvement in fake arms licences scam. The DG FIA told that Khizer was in custody on a three-day remand while similar investigation process was launched in all provinces and inquires against about 91 accused officials were in progress, while Director Law FIA Azam Khan apprised the court that on the directive of Secretary Interior, as many as 1,014 fake licences had been cancelled. The DG FIA replying to a question said all the arms owners would be directed to surrender themselves before concerned police stations. The bench appreciated the efforts of FIA and told its DG not to appear in the next hearing. The bench rejected bail plea of Shahzad Ahmad. Tariq Mehmood, counsel for Shahzad, contended that he had nothing to do with FIAs moves. He said the real culprits like then secretary interior Syed Kamal Shah, additional secretary and three sections officers were not nabbed. He said an innocent person like his client had been arrested and his huge amount was stuck up. He argued that National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) was also equally responsible for such crime while Interior Ministry officials were pressurised by parliamentarians to issue fake licences. He also raised objections to insertion of various criminal sections in FIR lodged on May 19, 2009 against his client under Prevention of Electronic Crime Ordinance. Ansar Nawaz Mirza contended that the arrested official was involved in issuances of fake arms licences and he used to access server and destroyed the records. He also siphoned off an amount of Rs 3,838,353 for supply of stationary to the Interior Ministry and transferred the amount in his account in Standard Chartered Bank, Mirza added. Shehzad Ahmad was a contractor in Ministry of Interior for supplying stationery items. Later, he established links in the Ministry and allegedly started issuing fake computerised arms and ammunition licences to different people. Shehzad had issued 32,148 licences for Rs 5,000 each. The applicants counsel, Tariq Mehmood, had claimed that three section officers from the Interior Ministry, namely Abdul Hakeem Kurd, Haji Abdul Khaliq and Malik Iftikhar, who were allegedly involved in issuing fake arms licences, had been released on bail but the High Court had refused to grant bail to his client.