Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has reshuffled its staff posted at all major airports and has transferred heads of its important circles.
The change follows direction given by the Federal Minister for Interior Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan.
The transferred officers had managed to keep their positions at the airports through political connections and were sticking to their seats since long, sources familiar with the matter told The Express Tribune.
Moreover, officers that had got themselves posted in FIA on deputation have been sent back to their parent departments, sources said.
According to separate notifications issued by the FIA Headquarters Islamabad the officer of Intelligence Bureau (IB) Noor Khan serving as Deputy Director (DD) Gujranwala has been repatriated and Chaudhry Abdul Hafeez an Assistant Director (AD) has assumed the charge of acting DD Gujranwala Circle, while Irfan Ahmed Sheikh, an officer of Bank of Punjab serving as DD FIA Multan Circle has also been repatriated and Nabi Ahmad AD FIA Multan circle has assumed the charge as acting DD FIA Multan Circle.
DD FIA Anti Human Trafficking Circle (AHTC) Lahore Sajid Akram Chaudhry has been transferred to FIA Headquarters Islamabad and AD Immigration Muhammad Ahmed Chaudhry deployed at Allama Iqbal International Airport has taken the charge of acting DD FIA AHTC Lahore, while Additional Director FIA National Response Centre for Cyber Crime (NR-3C) Shahid Hussain was also called to FIA Headquarters Islamabad and AD Immigration Samiur Rehman Jami deployed at Allama Iqbal International Airport Lahore was posted as acting DD FIA NR-3C Lahore.
AD FIA Anti Corruption Circle (ACC) Khalid Anees has been transferred and posted as acting DD Anti Trafficking Unit (ATU) Lahore, while AD Zafar Chaudhry and Kashif Mustafa have been transferred from Immigration (Allama Iqbal International Airport) Lahore to FIA ACC and FIA Commercial Banking Circle (CBC) Lahore respectively.
AD Ali Imam Zaidi transferred from FIA Commercial Banking Circle (CBC) to FIA Immigration (Allama Iqbal International Airport) Lahore, while AD FIA AHTC Abu Zar Sabtain and AD FIA CCC Mubshar Zaidi also transferred and posted as ADs Immigration at Allama Iqbal International Airport Lahore.
Similarly, a large number of FIA officials deployed at Islamabad, Karachi, Quetta and Peshawar airports have also been transferred.
Revamping FIA
Sources said the changeover is the result of Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan’s policy which he announced on July 6, that the government intends to revamp the FIA by removing all controversial officials and bringing in those with integrity and a clean track record.
He said that the rules of the FIA would also be revamped to give it more power against corrupt officers.
Khan has directed the agency to adopt a procedure to ensure a merit-based selection and induction for the better functioning of FIA.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 15th, 2013.