ISLAMABAD: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has intensified internal accountability drive, handing out severe punishments to 10 officers and officials found guilty of corruption, abuse of authority, and persistent negligence.
The disciplinary actions were finalized during a high-level “Orderly Room” session convened at the agency’s headquarters, where Director General Riffat Mukhtar Raja reviewed cases involving various ranks, from constables to senior inspectors.
The most stringent penalties involved immediate dismissal from service of Technical Assistant Nazish Akmal and Head Constable Muhammad Ali. Both were found guilty of chronic absenteeism.
Inspector Muhammad Iqbal was relegated to Sub-Inspector for one year after investigation proved he failed to verify a driving license during a critical recruitment process for driver constables.
Additionally, Inspector Asad Iftikhar Awan faced a reduction of two pay scales for two years for poor investigative performance.
Constable Muhammad Hamza received a three-year stoppage of increments for being absent from the National Highway & Motorway Police Training College, Sheikhupura.
Constable Muhammad Waqar faced a similar one-year increment freeze for the same offense.
Constable Kamran Saleem’s promotion was halted for one year due to unauthorized absence from duty.
Furthermore, formal warnings were issued to six other officials, including ASI Asim Gulzar and several head constables and constables, for failing to attend mandatory training courses or missing duty shifts.
Addressing the session, Riffat emphasized that the FIA will no longer tolerate “black sheep” who tarnish the institution’s reputation.
He said strict accountability was the only mechanism through which human smuggling and internal corruption could be eradicated.
He reiterated that there was no place in the agency for negligent officials or those engaging in illegal activities.
Annual performance report: The FIA Headquarters released a comprehensive annual performance report on the Lahore Airport Immigration Wing, highlighting a year of high-volume operations and significant enforcement successes in 2025.
According to the official spokesperson, the agency successfully processed a total of 5.1 million passengers on both international arrivals and departures throughout the year.
Statistical breakdown of air traffic reveals that 2.6 million passengers departed from Lahore Airport via 12,357 international flights. Conversely, the airport welcomed 2.5 million passengers arriving from various global destinations through 12,338 flights, marking a period of intense activity for the immigration staff.
Parallel to passenger facilitation, the FIA maintained a vigilant crackdown on criminals, resulting in the arrest of 242 individuals wanted for serious offenses.
The report specifies that these fugitives had been placed on the official “Stop List” to prevent their movement across borders. Of those apprehended, 73 suspects were intercepted while attempting to flee the country, while 169 were taken into custody immediately upon their arrival in Pakistan.
The arrests underscore a high level of inter-agency cooperation. Among the detainees, 130 individuals were wanted by the Punjab Police, 105 were sought by the anti-human trafficking circles, six were wanted by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police, and one suspect was wanted by the Islamabad Police.
Furthermore, the FIA’s document scrutiny protocols led to the offloading of 121 passengers, who were prevented from traveling abroad after their documentation was found to be fraudulent.
To combat heinous crimes such as human smuggling, the FIA implemented specialized measures and enhanced the technical capacity of its workforce. With the collaboration of international organizations, the agency conducted 28 rigorous training sessions for its personnel. More than 200 immigration officers received this specialized training during 2025, focusing on advanced techniques for identifying and preventing human smuggling and document forgery.
