SC rejects Ministry's report

ISLAMABAD The Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected the report of Interior Ministry on issuance of fake arms licences and ordered Interior Secretary and DG FIA to submit their reports within five days to the court about the irregularities committed in this regard.
A three-member bench comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, Justice Ch Ijaz Ahmed and Justice Khalilur Rehman Ramday issued direction on a bail plea of Shahzad Salim booked by FIA for his involvement in issuing fake arms licenses.
The Interior Ministry presented the report in the court on fake weapon license, which was rejected by it and raised questions over not cancellation of fake licenses by the Ministry. The bench observed that it seemed lax attitude on the part of the relevant ministry that gave passage to the 'touts to work as per their desires.
In his remarks, the Chief Justice said the issuing of more than 32,000 fake weapon licenses was not an unusual issue, adding a mammoth fraud of money had been noticed in the Interior Ministry. The lawyer of the accused Shahzad during the hearing said that the Interior Ministry had issued over 32,000 weapons licenses and these licenses were issued on the letters of ministers. Justice Khalilur Rehman Ramday, in his remarks, said thousands of forged licenses had been circulated all across the country, leaving the lives of the people at risk. During the course of proceedings, the Chief Justice remarked that issuance of such a large number of fake licenses was of no less significance and it could not be tolerated to waste national wealth in such a manner.
Justice (Retd) Tariq Mahmood, counsel for petitioner, stated that his client was behind the bars, but the trial had not yet started. He further apprised that the Special Court meant for cyber crimes had not been established. Investigation officer of Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had also admitted that despite lapse of about nine months, the case was still pending.
Shehzad Ahmad was a contractor in the Ministry of Interior for supplying stationery items. Later, he established links in the Ministry and allegedly started issuing fake computerised arms and ammunition licenses to different people. Till his arrest, he issued 32,148 licenses 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 licenses, had been released on bail but the High Court had refused to grant bail to his client. He denied that his client was involved in issuing any fake arms licenses.
The hearing was adjourned till March 25.