Sindh government says no inventory or copies were made of the record was made by the FIA officials. PHOTO: EXPRESS
KARACHI: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Friday returned around 200 files to the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) just as a rift with the provincial government deepened.
The FIA had on July 24 raided offices of the SBCA at Civic Centre, taking away thousands of files allegedly pertaining to ‘China-cutting’ for investigations.
But the Sindh government, noting that neither the SBCA nor the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) fell under the FIA’s jurisdiction, has written a letter to the investigation body’s director protesting its raid.
In a letter titled “The transgression of powers by officers of FIA,” a copy of which is available with The Express Tribune, the provincial government threated to initiate “criminal” as well as “civil” proceedings against the federal investigation agency.
“It is our contention that the said documents have been surreptitiously stolen by FIA official after office hours,” said deputy secretary (admin) local government Zahid Kametio, in the letter.
Addressing FIA director Shahid Hayat, the letter added that the FIA, being a statutory body, is duly bound to act in accordance with law and within the parameters prescribed by the parliament (in its infinite wisdom under the federal investigation Act 1974).
It further said that the jurisdiction of the federal investigation agency is confined to matters concerning the federal government only and departments which are under its administrative control.
“The KMC under any stretch of imagination is neither part of the federal government nor is under the administrative its control, therefore the FIA has no mandate to conduct such without prior information.”
Regarding records confiscated by the FIA, the letter said emphasized with great vehemence that not only did the agency conduct its raid after office hours, but that it seized and confiscated the entire “original” record of the KMC’s land department situated at 10 floor of Civic Centre.
“Please note that no inventory or copies of this record was made by the said officers. This is itself an ‘arbitrary exercise’ and ‘abuse’ of power by FIA officers, which has caused a great anxiety not only amongst the officers of KMC, but also the public at large whose records have been picked up.”
The Sindh government termed the raid a breach of provincial autonomy and an act contrary to legal and constitutional rights.
“A request should have been made by the federal agency in writing. However, taking complete original record in a van is unilateral raid at the office of a government department and is blatant excess of authority.”
CM’s spokesperson denies talks of dispute
Talking to The Express Tribune, the spokesperson for CM government rebutted the reports of dispute between the FIA and Sindh government and said that the former has started returning the documents to KMC.
“We are also against corruption and will extend every possible help to the federal investigation agency against this menace,” the spokesperson said adding that in future the FIA will approach the commissioner of Karachi and KMC administrator for any details or record which they require.
“It has been decided that no raid will be conducted at any government office by the agency. However, Sindh government itself has stood up against the corruption and will coordinate with others agencies to get rid of it,” the spokesperson said.
FIA returns a few files
An FIA official said that of the thousands of files confiscated, 200 files have been returned.
“Not a single file pertaining to China-cutting has been given back to KMC. The federal investigation agency is probing the matter,” the official added.
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