‘Unskilled’: High court stays deputations in FIA

The judge directed the director general NAB to file a reply by January 29.

LAHORE: Justice Mansoor Ali Shah of the Lahore High Court has stayed induction of officers from various departments into the Federal Investigation Agency on deputation. The judge issued the order on Wednesday while hearing a petition filed by Khalid Mateen, an FIA official. The judge directed the National Accountability Bureau director general to file a reply by January 29. Petitioner Khalid Mateen and others informed the court, through their counsel, that officers from different departments were being inducted into the FIA on deputation. The FIA is an investigation agency and all of its officers must have knowledge of the investigation process, the petitioners have submitted. They have objected to the induction, even if on deputation of unskilled officers, which they said is “illegal”.  Mateen has requested the court to declare the deputations as illegal and unconstitutional and to order that the officers be repatriated to their parent departments.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 25^th, 2013.