ISLAMABAD: Veteran human rights defender and former Senator Farhatullah Babar has filed a writ petition in the Islamabad High Court (IHC), denouncing an anti-corruption inquiry launched by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) as “unlawful, illegal, arbitrary, and mala fide.”
Babar — a Hilal-i-Imtiaz recipient, three-term senator, and council member of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) — asserted that the FIA’s actions are part of a campaign to silence him for his decades-long advocacy, particularly his efforts to push for intelligence agency accountability.
Filed against the FIA’s Anti-Corruption Circle (ACC), the petition describes the inquiry as a “fishing expedition” triggered by a private complaint from a Rawalpindi resident, Touseef Abbas. Babar says he was denied access to the complaint, any supporting documents, or a legal explanation for the investigation despite multiple requests.
The FIA’s first notice, dated March 27, 2025, summoned Babar within 24 hours but failed to specify any charges. A subsequent 12-point questionnaire—dated March 28—was sent via WhatsApp on April 11, bizarrely with a response deadline of April 7, four days before it was received.
— Farhatullah Babar (@FarhatullahB) June 6, 2025
Babar, who last held public office in 2013 as presidential spokesperson, claims this inquiry is part of a broader effort to intimidate him due to his outspoken stance on state accountability.
He cites a 2023 United Nations report highlighting threats against him, including his name being allegedly listed on a so-called “Kill List.”
The petition argues that the FIA has violated constitutional rights guaranteed under Articles 4, 10A, 19, and 25 by withholding critical information and denying him due process.
Babar has asked the court to quash the inquiry and all related notices, direct the FIA to disclose all accusations and legal grounds and restrain the agency from arresting or harassing him until the case is resolved.
