The Constitutional Bench of the Sindh High Court (SHC) on Tuesday directed former President Dr Arif Alvi and his family to immediately join an inquiry initiated by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) regarding a petition challenging the freezing of their bank accounts.

 

The bench, comprising Justice Muhammad Karim Khan Agha and Justice Adnan-ul-Karim Memon, directed the petitioners to fully cooperate with the Investigation Officer (IO) and said those abroad must return immediately to join the probe. 

 

The IO assured the court that the petitioners would not be detained if they returned and appeared before him.

 

According to details, in May this year, Alvi, his spouse Samina Alvi, their son Awab Alvi and daughter-in-law Sadiqa Awab Alvi had approached the court against the blocking of their bank accounts, reportedly on the directives of the NCCIA under alleged provisions of the Anti-Money Laundering Act and other laws.

 

During the hearing on Tuesday, the petitioners’ counsel, Ali Tahir, questioned the lawful authority of the NCCIA to block bank accounts, saying the petitioners had not committed any offence. The inquiry officer informed the court that despite being served notices, the petitioners had not joined the inquiry.

 

The lawyer submitted that the petitioners were out of the country, and the bench chimed in, asking why they were avoiding the inquiry if they had not committed any crime.

 

The bench in its order said: “All the petitioners, who are above 18 years, are directed to come to Pakistan and immediately join the inquiry and give full cooperation to the investigation officer,” directing the IO to complete the inquiry in respect of those petitioners who return to Pakistan before the next hearing.

 

“Petitioners shall ensure that they should come Pakistan as soon as possible and join inquiry so that the enquiry can be finalized (sic),” the bench in its order further noted.

 

Meanwhile, the hearing has been adjourned till Oct 25.

 

Earlier, the petitioners, citing the Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, NCCIA, various private banks and others as respondents, contended that the NCCIA had mailed an undated letter to all commercial banks to block their accounts.

 

The petitioners also submitted that the NCCIA had reportedly commenced baseless inquiries against Alvi under Sections 298 (uttering words, etc, with deliberate intent to wound religious feelings) and 298-A (use of derogatory remarks, etc, in respect of holy personages) of the Pakistan Penal Code, on extremely sensitive blasphemy-related allegations.