Amendment in FIA inquiry rules on the cards

Adviser to the Prime Minister on Accountability and Interior Brig (retd) Muhammad Musaddiq Abbasi on Thursday discussed with FIA Lahore Zone Director Dr Rizwan the issuance of an ordinance regarding deployment of special prosecutors for the FIA, amendment in FIA inquiry/investigation rules and other matters.

During his visit to the FIA Regional Office, the PM’s aide also discussed signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for information sharing and cooperation with other monetary institutions including the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), Financial Monitory Unit, Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan and others.

The PM’s aide reviewed the progress on inquiries and FIRs registered by the FIA on the recommendations of reports of the sugar and petroleum commissions.

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Director Rizwan briefed the adviser on FIA's regional performance and other matters including 15 cases of money laundering registered on the report of the Sugar Inquiry Commission, seven cases and eight inquiries on the report of the Petroleum Inquiry Commission, under trial eight cases of the EOBI registered on the directions of the SC, and six inquiries pertaining to the price of drugs and Drug Regulatory Authority Pakistan.

The adviser was also briefed about 99 inquiries of cooperative housing societies registered on the recommendations of the SC forensic audit and the cases of absconder Umer Farooq regarding money laundering.

Abbasi directed to finalise the accountability cases on merit and without considering any pressure, saying that the suspect or accused should not be arrested until having concrete evidence.