Two FIA officials sent to jail
Officers took millions as bribe for smuggling Afghan citizens to Britain.
ISLAMABAD:
A special Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) court on Monday jailed two immigration officials who were found involved in human smuggling, the officials said.
Both officers had allegedly taken million of rupees in bribe through agents for smuggling Afghan citizens to Britain.
As many as 150 FIA officials have so far been implicated in human trafficking cases since 2005, contradicting FIA’s claims about doing much to curb the illegal trade.
Special court judge Masroor Zamman Bhatti ordered the arrest of immigration officer Alia Khadim and head constable Muzaffar Ahmad for allowing four Afghan nationals to fly to Britain in connivance with a travel agent named Muhammad Adnan. He is an absconder.
An Afghan woman, Rabia Sohail Khan, travelled on Pakistani passports from the Islamabad airport (BBIA) to London along with her three children last month.
Both FIA officials were allegedly booked soon after their departure but later they got interim bail.
On Monday, the court rejected their bails and sent them to jail. An FIR was lodged against them under the Bribery Act of 1947 (Prevention of Corruption Act) which carries a maximum penalty of 14-year jail term.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 2nd, 2010.
A special Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) court on Monday jailed two immigration officials who were found involved in human smuggling, the officials said.
Both officers had allegedly taken million of rupees in bribe through agents for smuggling Afghan citizens to Britain.
As many as 150 FIA officials have so far been implicated in human trafficking cases since 2005, contradicting FIA’s claims about doing much to curb the illegal trade.
Special court judge Masroor Zamman Bhatti ordered the arrest of immigration officer Alia Khadim and head constable Muzaffar Ahmad for allowing four Afghan nationals to fly to Britain in connivance with a travel agent named Muhammad Adnan. He is an absconder.
An Afghan woman, Rabia Sohail Khan, travelled on Pakistani passports from the Islamabad airport (BBIA) to London along with her three children last month.
Both FIA officials were allegedly booked soon after their departure but later they got interim bail.
On Monday, the court rejected their bails and sent them to jail. An FIR was lodged against them under the Bribery Act of 1947 (Prevention of Corruption Act) which carries a maximum penalty of 14-year jail term.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 2nd, 2010.