Asad Qaiser asks FIA to withdraw call-up notice

PESHAWAR: Former National Assembly (NA) speaker Asad Qaiser has sent a letter to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to seek the withdrawal of its call-up notice, ARY News reported on Thursday.

The FIA Peshawar issued a call-up notice to ex-NA speaker Asad Qaiser to appear before the investigators on August 18 (today) at 2:00 pm. In response, Qaiser’s lawyer wrote a letter to the intelligence agency withdrawing the notice.

The content of the letter stated that Qaiser had filed a petition in the Peshawar High Court (PHC) challenging the FIA jurisdiction for summoning him.

READ: THREE-MEMBER BENCH CONSTITUTED TO HEAR PTI PROHIBITED FUNDING CASE

Following the petition, the two-member bench of the PHC sought FIA’s reply regarding six questions. The lawyer stated in the letter that the FIA should wait for the PHC’s verdict on the petition.

He also asked the agency to withdraw its call-up notice till August 31.

On August 11, the Peshawar High Court (PHC) had stopped the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) from investigating former National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser in the prohibited funding case.

The agency had summoned the PTI leader for questioning him on August 11, but he refused to appear before the body as he had challenged their decision to summon him a day earlier.

READ: PROHIBITED FUNDING CASE: IHC REJECTS PTI’S PLEA TO STAY ECP’S SHOW-CAUSE

In a short order issued after the hearing, the court had stopped FIA from investigating the ex-NA speaker till the next hearing.

The court, in the order, asked the FIA whether the federal government asked it to probe the PTI leaders. It also asked the FIA whether the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) issued any orders for inquiry against PTI.

The high court also asked FIA whether probing under the Political Parties Order 2022 comes under the ambit of the body.