LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Friday directed the Federal investigation agency (FIA) to unfreeze all bank accounts of former chairperson of Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) Uzma Adil Khan.

Khan had challenged an FIA order that had frozen her bank accounts after the registration of FIRs. The cases were registered over the artificial shortage of petroleum products that had occurred during the first half of 2020.

The former Ogra chairperson, through her counsel Barrister Momin Malik, contended that his client was being saddled with criminal liability by the FIA through different FIRs and some ongoing inquiries.

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He also questioned the FIA’s jurisdiction to take cognizance of the matter in wake of the provisions of the Ogra Ordinance 2002. He added that the law had an overriding touch upon the FIA Act 1974.

The counsel said the petitioner did not know how many FIRs had been lodged and in how many inquiries she was required to appear before the agency. He said the action of the FIA abridged the right of the petitioner to approach the court for protection of the law and due process guaranteed under the Constitution.

He argued that the FIA took action against his client on the petroleum commission’s report and froze her bank accounts.

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He pointed out that the accounts were not restored despite the court order and pleaded that the contempt of court proceedings should be initiated against the director FIA.

Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar deferred the further hearing till December 16 and directed FIA to furnish a compliance report.