April 15, 2025
Staff Report
LAHORE
Although the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has admitted that it currently does not have any evidence against former senator and veteran human rights defender, Farhatullah Babar, they have still gone on to demand details about his assets and other financial matters. It is only after he submits all the things requested, will they determine what charges could potentially be filed against him.
Speaking to Voicepk, the Deputy Director of FIA’s Anti-Corruption Wing said that they are investigating Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) senior leader and former Senator Farhatullah Babar on allegations of misuse of authority, accumulation of illegal wealth, money laundering, concealing assets, and paying less tax.
When asked about which period the inquiry against Farhatullah Babar relates to, the deputy director said that this inquiry pertains to his time as Senator, during which they will examine whether he committed financial corruption as Senator.
It should be noted that the FIA is conducting this inquiry merely based on a complaint from a private individual. However, despite Farhatullah Babar’s repeated requests, the FIA has not yet provided him with a copy of the complaint filed by the private individual or any documents regarding the allegations against him.
The questionnaire as evidence
In this regard, the FIA Deputy Director said that the questionnaire they have sent, is actually the complaint itself. However, when questioned that the questionnaire only asks Farhatullah Babar for general information about his assets, tax returns, and sources of income, and does not contain any clear allegations of alleged corruption, the FIA Deputy Director retorted, “These are the allegations; we cannot give him the case file now, can we?”
What is in the FIA notice?
According to the official notice dated March 28, 2025 (No. FIA/DD/ACC/RE-108/2025), sent from the Office of the Deputy Director FIA (Anti Corruption Circle) to Farhat Ullah Babar at his residence, he has been directed to submit the following 12 items by Monday, April 7, 2025. The notice is signed by Muhammad Afzal Khan Niazi, Deputy Director FIA/ACC, Islamabad.
The required list is detail of all moveable/immoveable assets, all bank accounts, all vehicles registered in his name, income tax declaration, tax submission, source of income, property in the name of his spouse or other dependents, benefits obtained during his senator ship, foreign funds received during senator ship, funds which were spent on public, the purse and privileges awarded to you by the Senate, and any other detail that he, Farhatullah Babar wants to submit.
Extended tax records request
The Deputy Director was asked that based on income tax law and previous Supreme Court decisions, only tax returns for the past five years can be reviewed – in this case why was the FIA requesting tax information from Farhatullah Babar for an indefinite period? To this the Deputy Director said that if criminal investigations are to be conducted against someone, then tax returns from before five years can also be examined.
The FIA Deputy Director said that they want to obtain at least 15 years of tax returns and details of assets from Farhatullah Babar to see how his financial affairs have been.
‘The FIA is conducting a fishing expedition against me’
Meanwhile, Farhatullah Babar has described the ongoing inquiry against him by the FIA Anti-Corruption Wing as a ‘fishing expedition’.
He means to say that there is no evidence against him, but the FIA wants to collect a lot of information to implicate him in some crime or the other. He says the Supreme Court has declared this process illegal, multiple times.
“As tax payers information about income, taxes & assets is available with FBR, (yet) the WhatsApp questionnaire goes far beyond, delving into my distant past, answers to which may have to be sought from different offices, in different locations and perhaps in distant lands in different time zones. And all these questions slammed suddenly at me on a weekend, after office hours. If this is not harassment, intimidation and if it is not deliberately aimed at publicly humiliatng a senior citizen in his mid-eighties by the powerful who think they are above law, above constitution, and will never face retribution, what else is this? Regardless of it all, I wish to remind them: There is God, Whose Mill when it starts grinding, it grinds exceeding small. How strange indeed are the illusions by which men in power sustain themselves. What else shall one say?”
No legal precedent
According to Jahangir Jadoon, former Advocate General of Islamabad High Court (IHC), in the case against Justice Qazi Faez Isa, the Supreme Court has already ruled that to review tax returns from more than five years ago, it is necessary to have strong evidence against the person under investigation. He added that reviewing tax returns to obtain evidence shows malice, and such notices are generally suspended by the High Courts.
Civil society’s open letter in support of Babar
In response to what they said was harassment of a well respected human rights defender and political leader, over 250 prominent figures from civil society from across Pakistan signed an open letter dated April 10, 2025, has strongly condemned the FIA investigation against Farhatullah Babar and demanded its immediate withdrawal. The signatories include renowned journalists, political representatives, lawyers, and human rights defenders such as Hina Jilani, Afrasiab Khattak, Bushra Gohar, Hamid Mir, Munizae Jahangir, Kashif Abbasi, and many others including from the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP).
The letter characterizes the complaint as “frivolous” and “baseless,” stating that it was clearly filed as an attempt to harass and intimidate Babar. It expresses serious concern that the FIA would pursue such a complaint against someone with an “impeccable public record” as a human rights defender and former parliamentarian. The signatories note that this follows a pattern where government agencies act on complaints filed by unknown individuals against well-known activists.
The letter highlights Babar’s long-standing commitment to human rights, particularly his advocacy for vulnerable and marginalized groups regardless of their race, gender, or political affiliations. It emphasizes that throughout his tenure as a Senator and beyond, he has consistently confronted undemocratic forces in Pakistan while standing firmly on his principles.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) also separately issued a statement expressing “serious doubts” about the legitimacy of the inquiry, particularly given its timing and Babar’s history as a vocal critic of state policies. The HRCP described the inquiry as “an example of the state weaponizing legal machinery to silence dissent” and called for its withdrawal and a public apology to Babar.
The letter concludes by urging solidarity with Farhatullah Babar against what it terms a “witch hunt,” describing him as “an important voice for the oppressed” who stands “at the forefront of the human rights movement in Pakistan.” It calls on the government to clarify why the action was initiated and to prevent agencies like the FIA from harassing human rights defenders.