ISLAMABAD, Sept 24: Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday referred the import of infected Australian sheep case to the federal investigation agency (FIA).

He directed the director of economic crimes wing of the agency to submit report by October 10.

He passed these directions while hearing a petition filed by a deputy animal husbandry commissioner (DAHC) of federal ministry of food security and research (MFSR) Rana Mohammad Akhlag.

The petitioner contended before the IHC that no action had been taken against the companies that had exported and imported the Australian sheep to Pakistan in September last year.

The petitioner Rana adopted before the court that the inquiry held by the MFSR had recommended black listing the export and import companies but no action had been taken as yet.

Abdur Rehman Siddiqui, counsel for the petitioner, adopted before the court that a bulk of diseased sheep was offloaded at Karachi port in September last year.

After the news was highlighted in the Pakistani media, the then prime minister and the Sindh chief minister ordered an inquiry and assigned the task to secretary MFSR.

As per details in this matter, an Australian carrying these animals, firdt anchored at Bahrain port. But the authorities there after inspecting the animals at the ship, did not allow the Wellard Rural Export (WREPL) of Australia to offload these sheep. WREPL then contacted Pak Livestock and Meat Company (PLMC) ofPakistan at its office in Malir Karachi.

The counsel told the court that PLMC then contacted the MFSR that issued to him a no objection certificate (NOC) without performing the codel formalities.

The Australian ship arrived a Karachi port on September 4, 2012 and a quarantine officer of the MFSR went to the ship and allowed the importer to of fload the animals.

Legal counsel for the petitioner while talking to this correspondent said it was the duty of the quarantine officer, who used to be a veterinary doctor, to medically examine the imported animals.

In this particular case the quarantine officer did not examine the animals and allowed offloading.

He said as per procedure, once the animals were offloaded, they were taken to the quarantine house where the MFSR officials take samples and examine health of the animals.

In this particular matter the importer took the animals straight to the slaughterhouse.

Later when media broke this news, MFSR held inquiry and it was proved through medical tests that the animals were fatally diseased and harmful for human consumption.

The MFSR inquiry had recommended legal action against the persons involved.

The inquiry also recommended blacklisting the PLMC and WREPL. However, the recommendations of the inquiry were dumped and no action against any responsible person has been taken.

Further hearing of the matter has been adjourned till October 10.