LAHORE: After the approval of the Federal Cabinet, the federal government on Wednesday removed Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Director General Dr Sanaullah Abbasi and appointed Grade-21 officer and National Coordinator, National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) Muhamamd Rai Tahir as his successor.
Read more: LHC adjourns hearing to remove Nawaz Sharif’s name from ECL
Earlier, Muhammad Tahir Rai has served as IGP Balochistan. Rai Tahir has also served as head of Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) Punjab in the past. Mr Tahir is a graduate from City University London.
Under Rai Tahir, the infamous Sahiwal incident took place in 2019 in which four people including a couple, their teenage daughter and their driver were killed in a cold-blooded manner by the CTD officials on suspect of being terrorists.
The then opposition leader now incumbent Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had demanded resignation of the then PM Imran Khan and the then Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar over the Sahiwal incident. Similarly, a judicial inquiry was also announced over the Sahiwal tragedy as well.
Moreover, Rai Tahir’s name made rounds several years back when he became an accused in gruesome killing of Mir Murtaza Bhutto, brother of the then Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, in a police ‘encounter’ in 1996.
Rai Tahir was ASP at that time.
Mir Murtaza Bhutto, Ashiq Hussain Jatoi, Sajjad Haider Ghagro, Wajahat Hussain Jokhio, Abdus Sattar Rajpar, Yar Mohammed Baloch, Abdul Rahim Brohi and Bachal Ujjan were killed when a police party opened fire on Bhutto’s entourage near 70-Clifton on September 20, 1996.
Four other party workers including Dr Mazhar Memon, Asghar Ali, Mohammed Ayaz Dayo and Mohammed Ismail had sustained injuries.
Eighteen police officials, including ASP Rai Tahir, the then deputy inspector general (DIG) Shoaib Suddle, Intelligence Bureau Director General Masood Sharif Khattak, Senior Superintendent Police (SSP) Wajid Durrani and Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Shahid Hayat (late) were accused in the killings.
In 2009, accused were acquitted by the court of Additional District and Sessions Judge East.
Read more: IHC orders a policy for gifts to be deposited in treasury
It is worth remembering that a total of 23 persons were nominated as accused in the case including former Sindh chief minister Abdullah Shah and former president Asif Ali Zardari who were exonerated in 2008.
Talking to Bol News, newly appointed DG FIA Rai Tahir said soon he would assume charge he will share his plan of action. He said he would try to do his best to make FIA an organization par excellence. He said everything will be done on merit and as per law.
