FIA grilling Pakistani over getting Belgian nationality

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Passport Cell is grilling a Belgian national of Pakistani origin on charges of getting nationality of Belgium on fake documents some 12 years ago.

“A case was registered against the accused, identified as Sheikh Imran Iftikhar, while FIA also obtained his four days physical remand,” reliable sources confided to The Nation here on Monday.

They said the accused came to Pakistan for meeting his relatives and was held at airport on his return to Belgium. They said that an accomplice of the accused managed escape from airport owing to negligence of FIA officials, sources said.

Sources also said that some high-up of FIA are trying to save the skins of the accused apparently in return of hefty bribe.
According to sources, the FIA Passport and Immigration Department staff arrested Sheikh Imran Iftikhar on October 18, 2014 from Islamabad-Abu Dhabi bounded Eitehad Airways flight number EK-232 from Benazir Bhutto Islamabad International Airport (BBIIAP). However, FIA freed his wife and children.

Interestingly, the second accused namely Sheikh Saad Iftikhar, who came to airport to see Imran off, managed to flee from the site because of negligence of FIA, sources asserted.

The arrest was made in light of a letter wrote by a Colonial of NADRA Vigilance Department to FIA Immigration and Passport Cell and other authorities of BBIIAP informing them about the fraud of two fake brothers namely Sheikh Imran Iftikhar and Sheikh Saad Iftikhar, who flown to Belgium on fake documents and obtained nationality some 12 years ago on fake documents.

The authorities also asked the FIA to arrest the accused on time of their departure at BBIIAP. Acting on the information, the FIA Immigration Department nabbed Sheikh Imran Iftikhar and handed him over to Passport Cell for further interrogation.

Sharing the further details, sources said that a man Sheikh Iftikhar, resident of Purana Qilla, House Number U-878, who had died some six months ago, sent sponsor letters to Sheikh Imran and Sheikh Saad from Belgium against Rs0.8 million from each man 12 years ago.

In the sponsor letter, Iftikhar declared the two men as his real sons. Later, Imran and Saad flown to Belgium and managed to get nationality by submitting fake documents in Embassy there. Sources revealed that Sheikh Iftikhar Ahmed (late) had no son but only a wife namely Khatoon Begum and a daughter whose name was Farida.

Revealing the real identity of the two Belgian nationals of Pakistani origin, sources informed that the real name of Sheikh Imran’s father is Sheikh Ashraf while mother name is Rasheeda Bibi, who lived in Usman Khattar, Taxila whereas Sheikh Saad hails from Allabad Westridge and his mother name is Zeeda Bibi. Sources expressed fear that some black sheep in FIA have been trying to give a clean chit to the accused in return of hefty bribe.

FIA Inspector Adeel, who is investigation office of the case, when contacted by this scribe, confirmed the arrest of Sheikh Imran. He said that a case was registered against the accused and physical remand was also obtained from a court of law. However, the inspector refused to provide any other information about the case saying “He cannot speak on the issue on cell phone as his high-ups may record his call”. DG FIA and FIA Director Rawalpindi Zone could not be approached for their comments.

Source: nation