Clearing backlog: FIA director sets deadline for pending cases

FIA's new Punjab director Dr Usman Anwar decides more than 400 inquiries that had been pending for several months.

LAHORE:

Federal Investigation Agency’s new Punjab director Dr Usman Anwar, on Friday decided more than 400 inquiries that had been pending for several months.

Officials familiar with the matter said that inquiry officers had previously forwarded more than 400 inquiries seeking final approval for further action had been sent to his predecessor. Director is the final authority on matters pertaining to closure of inquiries.

Dr Anwar told a meeting at his office on Friday that he meant February 18 to be the day for the disposal of remaining complaints pertaining to the Anti-Human Trafficking Circles, the Anti-Corruption Circle, the National Response Centre for Cyber Crime, Commercial Banking Circle, the Corporate Crime Circle and the Counter Terrorism Wing.

One of the officers at the meeting said the deadline also applied to cases pending for more than three months in which inquiry officers were yet to finalise recommendations for approval.

Dr Anwar said he aimed to expedite the process for immediate redress of grievances. He said several high profile suspects had managed to flee the country due to the inordinate delay in processing the cases. He said circle heads had been told to direct inquiry officers to contact complainants and submit their reports and recommendations for final approval by February 18.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 9^th, 2014.