By Ali Imran
ISLAMABAD: Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhary informed the National Assembly on Thursday that 51 officials of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had been dismissed over the past two years for various types of misconduct. Speaking during the question hour, the minister said the FIA has an effective internal accountability system to take disciplinary action against its personnel involved in wrongdoing.
He expressed satisfaction with the performance of the National Cyber Crime Investigation Authority (NCCIA), particularly in addressing cybercrime across the country. He told the House that a Director General had been appointed to lead the NCCIA and that about 500 personnel were currently working in the authority. A proposal has also been submitted to hire additional staff to enhance its capacity.
Highlighting the FIA’s role, the minister said it is Pakistan’s main federal agency for investigating serious crimes, including transnational crime, human trafficking, cybercrime, money laundering, terrorism financing, intellectual property violations, and both online and traditional bank fraud.Drones
He said the FIA also investigates corruption cases involving federal government employees and departments, usually referred by federal institutions. As a result of its proactive efforts, he noted, Pakistan improved its position on Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index, ranking 117 out of 180 countries in 2017.
The minister added that various bodies were set up under the FIA Act, 1974, with the main focus on anti-corruption. The FIA’s Anti-Corruption Wing handles cases related to embezzlement, misuse of public funds, espionage, and misconduct by federal officials. He said the FIA retrieved over 6,367 acres and one marla of encroached land worth more than Rs 41.5 billion. It also recovered Rs 991 million in rent and dues, registered 47 FIRs, initiated 285 inquiries across 10 zones, and arrested 56 out of 434 accused individuals.
He added that the FIA stepped up its action against electricity theft and corruption in power distribution companies (DISCOs). Since March 16, 2024, the agency carried out 14,859 raids, registered 1,836 cases, and arrested 971 people, recovering Rs 4.3 billion.
Additionally, since April 1, 2024, 1,389 DISCO officials were found involved in corruption. The FIA registered 736 inquiries, 193 cases, and arrested 261 officials. In a separate campaign against overbilling launched in March 2024, the agency detected overbilling of 1.10 billion units. It initiated 109 inquiries and registered 44 cases. The minister reaffirmed the FIA’s commitment to acting strictly on merit and law to eliminate corruption and crime from federal institutions.
