Troubleshooting inefficiencies: Overcome flaws in FIA, Nisar tells officials

Interior minister takes note of non-functioning CCTVs at airports

ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Chaudry Nisar Ali Khan while observing many flaws and shortcomings in various wings of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has directed officials to overcome these issues and make the prime investigation agency more vibrant.

In a meeting last month at FIA headquarters, he had expressed serious concerns on various issues including non-functioning of CCTVs at airports, pendency of cases in courts, lengthy inquiries, inefficient campaign for overcoming electricity and gas theft, improper reporting mechanism and lack of required force strength, besides logistics and equipment issues, which is either creating hindrance or affecting the overall performance of different wings of FIA.

A copy of the minutes received by Express Investigation Cell reveals the interior minister observed that non-functional CCTV at airports have facilitated illegal activity of FIA Immigration staff and ordered DG FIA to promptly seek supplementary grant from the Ministry for Installation of CCTV camera initially at all major airports.

DG FIA Ghalib Ali Bandesha briefed the interior minister on various issues and matters of the premier investigating agency.

The minister was informed that the Pakistan Automated Finger Print Identification System (Pafis), which was installed in January 2008 in FIA headquarters, has not yet been handed over to the FIA and it is also non-operational. The minster directed officials to constitute a committee comprising additional secretary of interior ministry, DG Nadra, director FIA and director National Police Bureau to review the current status of Pafis and submit recommendations to make it operational.

Similarly, it was pointed out that 10,000 cases are pending in various courts of law due to shortage of courts/judges and deficiencies of assistant directors legal in FIA. The FIA officials urged that special judges may be appointed in Lahore and Gujrat besides up-gradation of inspector legal to assistant director legal.

The interior minister also directed provision of GSM locators system to the cybercrimes units in five zones. FIA is still dependent on Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) for such purpose in order to retrieve data of criminals, which is essential to curb large scale of grey trafficking that causes great loss to the national exchequer.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 14^th, 2014.