FIA declares 62 of its officials ‘corrupt’

[Kompromat]

Purging the watchdog: FIA declares 62 of its officials ‘corrupt’​

Arif RanaPublished: August 19, 2013

By Arif RanaPublished: August 19, 2013

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Agency establishes accountability cell. PHOTO: FILE

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has listed its 62 officials as “corrupt” and immediately removed them from their assignments, a source said on Sunday.

The copy of an official document available to Express Investigation Cell (EIC) suggests that majority of alleged “corrupt” officials were found involved in serious crimes like facilitating human smuggling and damaging facts during investigations of high profile mega frauds cases. The “corrupt” officials of other departments have been surrendered to their parent departments and while regular employees will be served notices to face internal probe. A senior official said a serious question mark had been raised over the credibility of the FIA as an organisation in the recent years. “Many FIA officials with tainted credibility were posted at lucrative positions by the PPP government and their involvement in corrupt practices damaged the credibility of the department,” the official said.

According to the official, most of the alleged corrupt officials of the FIA were enjoying their assignments at lucrative posts like Anti Human Smuggling Cell (AHSC) and immigration office at Benazir Bhutto International Airport (BBIA), Islamabad for years and each one of them was a known source of income for their seniors. The list of alleged corrupt officials included three FIA officers Afzal Khan Niazi (inspector), Amanullah Khan (ASI) and Sajid Munir (FC) who allegedly helped an Afghan national get aboard a UK bound flight last month.

The Afghan national reportedly travelled on Pakistani passport from the BBIA Islamabad to London and was caught by UK airport authority and sent back to Islamabad airport. The gang of these three FIA officials allegedly got the Afghan national cleared from the BBIA Islamabad airport on his return and later it helped him run away to avoid arrest. After media reports, Interior minister, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, took notice of the incident and ordered inquiry against the gang besides suspending all three officials involved in the case. The list also included Rizwan Aslam, a grade 16 official, who has been accused of damaging facts of the Rs44 billion Employees Old Age Benefits Institution (EOBI) fraud to protect its main accused Zafar Gondal.

After doubting credibility of Rizwan Aslam who hails from Zafar Gondal’s hometown Mandi Bahauddin, the FIA had separated him from EOBI investigations and transferred him from Islamabad to Quetta. Sajid Akram (deputy director) has been transferred from the AHTC to zonal office Islamabad. Aslam Zeb (assistant director) has been transferred from the FIA immigration Peshawar Airport to C&I cell FIA headquarter Islamabad. Talking to the EIC, the FIA Director General Saud Mirza said the institution would be purged of corrupt elements.

“To achieve this objective an Internal Accountability Cell (IAC) has already been established under supervision of a grade 19 officer. The IAC will investigate all the cases of corruption and take strict action against those who will be found involved in dirty activities like corruption,” he added.
“The IAC has been set up to take the corrupt elements to task and everyone alleged “corrupt” will be investigated by the IAC,” Mirza said.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 19th, 2013.

Purging the watchdog: FIA declares 62 of its officials


@Argus Panoptes @ajpirzada @Oscar @muse @Awesome


Apni hi kashti main 'soorakh' tha.

 

[Argus Panoptes]

Yes, we need to get rid of the old corrupt officials, and appoint a new crop of equally corrupt officials of our own choosing, said the new gormint, just like all the previous regimes have done. A time honored tradition, this type of pogrom.

 

[Armstrong]

Yes, we need to get rid of the old corrupt officials, and appoint a new crop of equally corrupt officials of our own choosing, said the new gormint, just like all the previous regimes have done. A time honored tradition, this type of pogrom.

Oh bhai Goal Post dosriii taraaaf haiii !

Kadiii tei koi sooooni gal kar diyaa karooo sadeiii bareiii viccch viii !

 

[haviZsultan]

FIA used to be the least corrupt investigation agency in the world. Now it is filled with RAW infiltrators, cannot defend Pakistan's interests and lacks teeth to deal with corrupt officials. FIA is in a mess and Pakistan is in one too.

No one in Pakistani is willing to protect Pakistani citizens and give them their honor in Pakistan. Its such a sad situation that we struggled so hard for Pakistan and got these corrupt officials and politicians and nothing else. I love my country beyond anything and I know I will never be rewarded for it.

 

[Bratva]

Urdu version of report is more detailed, even mentioning the name and ranks of corrupt officials

 

[SQ8]

Are these 62 the only ones who are corrupt or they are ones who were "caught"?
What guarantee do we have that the declared corrupt aren't just scapegoats for other corrupt.

 

[Thorough Pro]

"Angry young men" were cool in 70's, times have changed now. Try to be positive, any Bi--h can crib.

Yes, we need to get rid of the old corrupt officials, and appoint a new crop of equally corrupt officials of our own choosing, said the new gormint, just like all the previous regimes have done. A time honored tradition, this type of pogrom.

 

[A1Kaid]

It's a good step, hopefully Government can clean up this agency altogether.

 

[Thorough Pro]

I fail to understand the purpose of "Declaring" a number of officials as corrupt and then moving them to other positions as though allowing others to take advantage of those "profitable positions".

If they can prove their corruption, then they should be tried for braking their oath of the position, breaking the trust of the state and the nation, made to pay the losses the country suffered due to their corruption, fired without benefits from the department, and made an example by punishing to set a precedence.

If they are just moved to other positions, then the authority taking this decision is the most incompetent, and corrupt it self and should be fired first to bring any positive change.

 

[Argus Panoptes]

It's a good step, hopefully Government can clean up this agency altogether.

How can a government that is itself riddled with the same corruption clean FIA or any other agency up? It is like doing laundry with dirty water and expecting the clothes to be clean.

 

[Panther 57]

Though a late response on the subject. But just to share a letter written to Ch Nisar last month.

"I am a frequent traveler and have been to many countries of the world. I have not witnessed security measures, what is being practiced on the airports of Pakistan. At most of the airports passengers go through their security checks after issuance of boarding card. At Seoul and Chiang Mai airport I observed that passengers were allowed to go outside the airport even after issuance of boarding pass. Nowhere in the world did I observe a routine body search of individual passengers. Yes, requirement of beep free walking through scanning gates is mandatory; a much respectable way rather then allowing someone to touch different parts of body. Though, you must be fully aware of practices at Pakistani airports, yet for reference sake each step is mentioned below.
1. First Check: At bridge Entrance. Immediately after crossing first security check there are armed personnel watch passengers and may exercise authority of stopping the passenger on any doubt. On the other hand a number of picnickers can be found standing on the bridge at some instances even beggars have been found in Parking area and terminal building.
2. Second Check: At the entrance of terminal building where two ASF individuals check tickets of all the passengers entering the departure lounge. It won’t be a surprise if they hold the ticket upside down and allow the passengers to go in. This indicates that they either don’t know which side is correct or they are not bothered.
3. Third Check: Immediately after third check, custom officials ask questions and check baggage.
4. Fourth Check: As you step away from customs officials, ANF officials start asking similar questions like where are you going, why are you going, show your passport, etc.
5. Fifth Check: Immediately after interrogation by ANF, passenger is to go through machine scan of luggage and electronic human scanner .
6. Sixth Check: After walk through gate each passenger is subjected to full body search by touching. This is an embarrassing act most of the time. In my decade long frequent travel experience, such search has not been witnessed anywhere else. If at all physical search is done, it is done using hand held scanners and not physically touching the body.
7. Seventh Check: After issuance of boarding pass, passengers have to go through another luggage scan.
8. Eight Check: Immigration
9. Ninth Check: Rechecking of passport exit stamp by another immigration officer.
10. Tenth Check: Walking a few meters confronts passenger to yet another walk through gate, before reaching waiting area. Here cabin baggage is scanned and full body search by touching every part of the body takes place.
11. Eleventh Check : Stamping of boarding pass and luggage tags, despite the fact that just 10 meters before this point one ASF individual has punched luggage security tags. Stamping of security tags has gone obsolete the world over and security tags are not found at any international airport, anymore.
12. Twelfth Check: Law enforcing agencies are yet not satisfied. Before entering the air jetty yet another ASF staff members stands checking for stamped boarding passes and security tags.
Domestic travel is also equally painful. All steps with the exclusion of Customs, ANF and Immigration are same as international travel.
This whole process does not indicate vigilance, but clearly depicts inefficiency of law enforcing agencies and a distrust on their own staff.
This distrust is evident at arrival as well, when passports are rechecked by immigration personnel immediately after crossing immigration counter.
In my opinion government should reconsider the number of checks at international departure and align it with the procedures followed internationally, thus reducing the cost incurred on redundant steps and passengers’ agony. Internationally only two or three checks are conducted, depending on airport:
1. Immigration
2. Machine scan before entering gates area or at gate.
3. Some airports have luggage scan on entering of departure lounge.

Furthermore, it will be worthwhile to introduce self-immigration system for Pakistani nationals. NADRA has very potent and effective tools. It has proved its competence by exporting its services to other countries. It is very much capable of developing electronic immigration system, especially after introduction of smart CNIC. Such systems are very successfully being used in many countries of world.
By improving systems at airports will help Pakistan develop tourism and in turn contribute to national economy. It will create a feeling of confidence in Pakistanis travelling abroad and other countries will be reluctant to discriminate Pakistanis indicated through ill treatment, during their immigration process. "

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