FIA summons Tasneem in Arshad’s case

LONDON (Agencies): The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has summoned Syed Tasneem Haider Shah — who claimed that the assassination plot of senior journalist Arshad Sharif was made by the PML-N in London — to appear in person before the agency on November 29 in a case pertaining to the brutal murder of the renowned anchorperson in Kenya.

The Pakistani investigators looking into Sharif’s killing have sent notice to Haider in London, asking him to appear before the fact-finding team to give evidence in support of his claim that Nasir Butt was in touch with Waqar Ahmed and Khurram Ahmad, who was driving the slain journalist on the night of October 23 when he was killed. The two-member team — comprising FIA Director Athar Wahid and IB Deputy Director General Omar Shahid Hamid — have written to Haider to appear before the FIA to give evidence that he has claimed to have.

The FIA team decided to contact Tasneem Haider after he claimed that Sharif’s iPhone and laptop have reached London and are with Nasir Butt. Haider has alleged that PML-N UK Senior Vice President Butt had links with Waqar and Khurram —the two brothers who hosted Sharif in Kenya and sponsored his visa at the request of Karachi Kings CEO Tariq Wasi. He said that Butt had told him about these links. In his response Butt has said that Haider is a liar who is making these false allegations out of a personal dispute.

The FIA letter says: “Reportedly you have claimed that you have important relevant information/evidence regarding murder of senior journalist Muhammad Arshad Sharif in Kenya. Therefore you are requested to appear before the fact-finding team, regarding provision of the relevant information/evidence if you have any on 29 November 2022 at 11am at FIA HQ G-9/4 Islamabad.”

The letter has been sent to Haider on his WhatsApp number and it is understood his lawyer Mahtab Anwar Aziz, of Central Chambers Law, also has a copy of the letter. When asked whether Haider will appear before the fact-finding committee to give evidence, Aziz did not respond.

Haider had claimed sitting next to his lawyer that the assassination plot against PTI chief Imran Khan and slain senior journalist Sharif was made by the PML-N leadership in London but he accepted he has no evidence of any kind to prove his claims and that PM Imran Khan’s shooter has reached Kenya and belongings of Sharif have reached London too.

He also claimed that Waqar and Khurram were in touch with PML-N UK leader Butt. Haider initially claimed he has evidence to prove murder conspiracy which he has handed over to the police but during an interview with private TV he denied having any evidence of the conspiracy and said he himself was the evidence.

Aziz also claimed to have given evidence to the police but accepted that the police had so far taken no action on his evidence. It has also emerged that nearly two weeks before Haider made allegations against Nawaz Sharif and Butt at Aziz’s office in East London. It Aziz who registered a complaint with the police just a few hours after Imran Khan was attacked in Wazirabad and he named Nawaz and Maryam Nawaz for being behind the conspiracy.

After Haider said Butt was linked with Waqar and Khurram in Kenya, he was asked if he had reported about this connection to the Kenyan Police. He replied: “They are so corrupt that they will not take any action against Nasir Butt.” Tasneem Haider has been in touch with PTI Punjab leader Omar Sarfraz Cheema who arranged his Zoom meeting with the Punjab JIT.