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Lack of check on FIA resulting in economic murder of people: LHC

LAHORE: Justice Ehsanul Haq Chaudhry of the Lahore High Court remarked that receiving bribe from people is the economic murder of innocent people and the evil is created due to lack of any check on the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

The learned judge further remarked that the economic murder of people is worse than their physical murder.

The court passed these remarks while hearing the petitions filed by two rice traders of Sialkot challenging the registration of fake cases against them by the FIA.

The petitions filed by Rizwan Mushtaq advocate on behalf of his clients Sheikh Khalid Mehmood and Javed Iqbal submitted that his clients had obtained rice from various rice dealers of Sheikhupura on credit to export.

He submitted that they had exported rice but their clients had not paid them due to sub-standard rice provided by the applicants. He submitted that his clients also could not make payments to the rice dealers due to non-payment by their foreign buyers.

The counsel further informed the court that the dealers got seven bogus cases registered against his clients with the FIA, saying that both petitioners had received money from them (dealers) for sending them abroad but had failed to do so, nor had they returned their payments.

The petitioners also challenged the jurisdiction of FIA but the FIA Lahore deputy director appearing before the court informed that the FIA can interfere into the matter under Immigration Act to investigate.

The court while restraining FIA from harassing and arresting the petitioners, directed the concerned trial court to decide the matter by June 30 next. APP