LAHORE - As Dr Tahirul Qadri has stepped up efforts to cobble together a grand opposition alliance to pull down the government, the FIA has started investigation into the assets and funding lines of Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief, well placed official sources confided to The Nation here on Thursday.
Sources disclosed that investigation was initiated by Special Investigation Unit (SIU) of FIA Islamabad.
Dr Qadri, staying abroad for the past several years, is scheduled to return to Pakistan on June 23. He insists that the present political system has failed to deliver, because of which a revolution has become imperative. His party leaders are holding contacts with other parties to persuade them to join an anti-government alliance.
The government is also establishing contacts with various parties to counter the PAT chief’s plans.
In an address via video link, Dr Qadri said that Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Mian Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif would be responsible if any kind of terrorism occurred upon his arrival in Pakistan. FIA has also contacted NADRA offices to know Mr Qadri family details and his family background. FIA was investigating on the lines that from where funding was being arranged to run the issues of PAT and other institutions affiliated with Tahirul Qadri’s party.
It is worth mentioning here that some intelligence agencies were also investigating the details of assets of Mr Qadri from the start of his carrier as teacher from Jhang. Agencies were also investigating about the funding lines from across the world especially from Scandinavian countries as there were some intelligence memos which strongly suggest that Dr Qadri’s funding in this region came from some quarters believed to be close to states unsuitable to the interests of our country.
Pakistan missions were also checking the details of Dr Qadri’s funding lines, assets in Pakistan and abroad and other details. It was also being examined that what sort of cases were registered against Dr Qadri, including criminal and of other natures, from the start of his carrier.
Details are also being gathered regarding assets in the name of his family members and FIA was also working to unearth his suspected and undeclared assets.
Keeping in view the law and order situation of the country, Dr Qadri called on the Pakistan Army to take control of security at the Islamabad airport on his arrival. Tahirul Qadri said that he was returning to Pakistan to implement the Constitution since he said he “believes in true democracy and Constitution”.