Security czar sets one-week deadline to end graft

Government is all set to reinstate ‘anti corruption cell’ in Federal Investigation Agency, says Malik.

ISLAMABAD:

The nation’s security czar has set an ambitious one-week deadline to banish corruption from public offices.

“The government is all set to reinstate the ‘anti corruption cell’ in the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to eliminate corruption from public offices,” said Interior Minister Rehman Malik during a meeting held here at the FIA headquarters on Sunday.

“All heads of the government institutions have been directed to take solid steps to root out corruption within one week,” said Malik. For this purpose, an ‘emergency response unit’ will be established in collaboration with the government of France, he added.

Two years ago, powers were transferred to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to eradicate corruption and hold those accountable who were accused of such practices. With this announcement, the interior minister reinstated the powers of FIA to detect and provide effective measures against corruption.

“The special cell of the FIA will take action against the complaints being filed against public servants across the country,” FIA Director-General Wasim Ahmad told The Express Tribune.

Rehman Malik announced a 25 per cent quota for the appointment of women in the FIA. Ahmad said that the new inductions will be made soon according to the directives of the federal government.

After the meeting, the interior minister also told reporters that the salaries of the FIA employees will be made equal to the Motorway and Islamabad Police by the next fiscal year.

Malik said that people could also register their complaints through the helpline, to enable the FIA team identify corrupt elements in government institutions as soon as possible.

Replying to a question, Malik said that strict measures were being taken to combat human trafficking.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 1st, 2010.