Amraiz Khan
Lahore
FIA has started inquiry against its own senior officers on the charges of corruption and high handedness in their dealing with deported passengers few days back, sources in the agency confided to Pakistan Observer on Tuesday.
As per details on August 26, about 101 passengers were deported by Turkish Airline at FIA Immigration Lahore and they were subsequently sent to Anti Human Trafficking Circle (AHTC) Zone I for further action. Deportees were released after necessary legal proceedings by the officers concerned in AHTC Lahore Zone I.
A lady complained to Director General FIA that some FIA officer received illegal gratification from her to release her deported son. On which DG FIA ordered an inquiry into the matter and constituted a team headed by Ahmad Nasir Aziz Virk, Additional Director and two members Flt. Lt ® Imran Yaqoob and Rizwan Omer Gondal. The inquiry letter states, “On 26-08-2019 about 101 persons were deported by Turkish airline at FIA Immigration Lahore whereby complaints of corruption and high handedness were reported. The committee shall probe the entire incident and furnish report within seven days”.
The inquiry order further speaks, “The committee shall examine all deportees reached Lahore airport during last six months and shall address the following aspects including, How did deportees travel without visa and legal documents?
How many agents were identified?
What action was taken against agents?
What action was taken against deportees”?
Inquiry team has started recording the statements of the officials concerned and also started collection of CDRs of the officials to establish the contacts of FIA officers with the disputed lawyers. Talking on the sensitivity of the matter an FIA officer said that Additional Director of FIA has become applicant in the inquiry and the lady who initially informed DG FIA about the corruption has been sidelined.
He said, “Seven days time for the finalization of such a huge inquiry was very limited and unjustified”. He said performance of the AHTC was very poor since there was shortage of manpower only one inspector was looking after the circle whereas there were 16 inspectors to run the AHTC in the recent past.
Sources in the FIA claimed that huge corruption was being committed in the cases of deportees already looted at the hands of human smugglers.
AS per Modus-Operandi of FIA officers they do not deal with the deportees or their family members directly but they always deal with the some specific lawyers who receive money from deportees in the name of their fees. Then the lawyers pay the FIA officials their due share confidentially. Every lawyer cannot get cases of the deportees since FIA officers recommend the family members of the deportees to hire the services of specific lawyers to get their dear one released smoothly. Sources revealed that inquiry team was keeping all proceedings highly confidential. When this scribe contacted Ahmad Nasir Aziz, chairman of the inquiry Committee said, “No doubt we are conducting an inquiry but it was never of public interest rather it was being conducted to make the smooth functioning of FIA”. He said that how he could share the development to the media person before putting it up to his seniors.
Assistant Director FIA Immigration, Aysha Khan when contacted said that somebody has complained to DG FIA about receiving of money from any deportee by some FIA official. But as per my inquiry the person who received money was not any FIA Immigration official otherwise I would have taken action against him.
