400 officers being illegally adjusted in FIA on deputation

KARACHI: More than 400 government officers having political influence are likely to be adjusted illegally in the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) after sending them on deputation, which has spread uneasiness among the original officers of the country’s prime probe agency.

It has come to the knowledge of this correspondent that efforts have been initiated to adjust officers from institutions like Nadra, EOBI, Information Department, Export Processing Zone, PIA, Health Department and Cantonment Board in the FIA.

In this regard several FIA official moved courts during the last one year. One of these ‘lucky’ officers include the son of a personality belonging to a federal constitutional institution who was previously appointed in PIA and now he has been sent to FIA on deputation. Other officers who are being sent on deputation include the near and dear ones of politicians.

It has also been revealed that these officers have voluntarily agreed to accept Grade-17 (Assistant Director) position in the FIA despite the fact that they were serving on Grade-18 and Grade-19 in their original institutions.

A senior FIA official told this correspondent that the performance of the probe agency would be affected if this practice was not stopped. He said the uneasiness among the original FIA officers will also affect their performance.

During the last days of Musharraf’s era, over 50 officers from different government institutions were deputed to FIA but at that time all these officers belonged to police, Rangers, NAB, FC or other law enforcing agencies. But the PPP-led government has moved one step further and deputed over 350 officers disregarding the condition that they should belong to law enforcing agencies.

This correspondent also came to know that the federal government first contacted Chairman Federal Public Service Commission Justice (R) Rana Baghwandas to adjust its favourite officers in FIA but on plain refusal by Baghwandas the federal government first appointed these officers in other institutions and then introduced new rules to adjust them in FIA.

The FIA senior officials said the officers coming from other institutions were previously required to complete a six-month course in Islamabad, but now this course is reduced to a one-week which is unprecedented in the history of the country. They said a lot of sub-inspectors, ASIs, inspectors and assistant directors were deprived of promotions for the last 15-20 years and if the officers from other institutions joined FIA then their chances of promotions would be diminished forever.