Ahsan shuffles FIA to build his own team

Many officials having served Nisar transferred to other posts

ISLAMABAD: Having replaced Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan as interior minister, Ahsan Iqbal has started building his own team for which massive shuffling has already taken place in the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

Many of FIA’s high-profiled officials, who served under Nisar, have either been transferred to other posts or their posting to other department is in the pipeline.

The FIA, which is a border control, counter-intelligence and security agency, is tasked with investigative jurisdiction on operations against terrorism, espionage, federal crimes, fascism, smuggling as well as infringement and other specific crimes.

Being the law enforcement agency, FIA has a very important position which would become even more important in the coming days due to some high profile cases it may be assigned to investigate, sources told The Express Tribune.



The FIA also undertakes international operations with close co-operation and co-ordination of Interpol. Headquartered in Islamabad, the agency has various branch and field offices located in all major cities of Pakistan.

Currently, the agency is being headed by Bashir Ahmed who was appointed in August 2017 by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.

According to sources in the ministry and FIA, Director FIA Islamabad Mazhar Kakakhel has been transferred to the Counter Terrorism Wing and Shakeel Durrani has replaced him as the agency’s director for Islamabad.

The change is important as the post is considered to be very important for several reasons. Issues related to the Capital Development Authority (CDA) like allotment of plots in the capital are overseen by the agency. This ensures that the director on many occasions is engaged with very influential persons.

Meanwhile, Director FIA Peshawar Bisharat Shahzad has also been replaced by Shuja Naveed, and Shahzad has been appointed in the FIA Academy Islamabad.

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Acting Additional Director FIA Karachi Asim Qaimkhani has been asked to take charge as additional director immigration – a post he held before being appointed as acting director.

Sources told The Express Tribune that in the coming days, Director Punjab Dr Usman Anwar is also likely to be internally transferred.

It was a common perception that Dr Anwar and Kakakhel were very close to Nisar, the former interior minister. In fact, it was Dr Anwar who was the interior ministry’s representative in the committee formed to probe the all-important Dawn Leaks.

However, the sources said that the shuffle was not meant to punish anyone but the services of some high officials were just being rotated.

“This always happens when a new minister takes charge as he tries to build his own team to develop better communication,” said the sources, adding that the current change was because the new interior minister and the new DG FIA were forming their own team.