LAHORE - FIA is investigating against its own officials allegedly involved in human smuggling and facilitating human traffickers, revealed well placed sources in the agency adding that action has been taken against six officials in three different cases during last five months.
In first incident, a case was registered against FIA Sub Inspector Khalil posted at Allama Iqbal International Airport Lahore. The accused had allegedly received gratification of Rs0.25 million from a passenger and let him board a South Africa-bound flight. As per the FIA spokesman, Khalil was working in Immigration on deputation basis and his parent department was IB. After registration of case, he was repatriated to his parent department for further action.
In another incident, an inquiry is underway against three FIA officials Inspector Mian Ajmal, Sub Inspector Mustansar and Counter Clerk Hafeez. FIA Additional Director Commercial Bank Circle (CBC), Javed Shah is looking into the matter. All three of them are facing charges of using fake passport to send a passenger on a UK-bound flight.
In third case, FIA Director Dr Usman Anwar has finalised an inquiry against two Immigration officials who are accused of facilitating a passenger on Italy-bound flight. As per sources, the FIA Director has recommended major punishment against the accused. An inquiry was conducted by Samiur Rehman Khan Jami, FIA Deputy Director against Sub Inspector, Irfan Babar Bhatti and Counter Clerk, Haji Manzoor. The spokesman said that on recommendation of Sami Jami, the FIA Director has further recommended the FIA Director General for major punishment against both the officials. At present, both the officers are performing duty in a security department, said an FIA officer seeking anonymity.
It is worth mentioning here that UN Office on Drugs and Crime in Pakistan (UNODC) was currently implementing a public awareness campaign against human trafficking in Punjab and Balochistan. According to a research, most of the traffickers and victims belong to the four districts of Punjab - Sialkot, Mandi Bahuddi n, Gujranwala and Gujrat –, and are trafficked/smuggled via Balochistan to Iran and then to Greece, Turkey and other European destinations. Therefore, the campaign is focused on the source and transit to make the general population aware of the dangers associated with this crime. But unfortunately, FIA was not taking serious steps against this human smuggling hub from where, as per the UNODC statistics, 75 per cent of the total human smuggling of the country is being originated. FIA has appointed a junior officer of grade 17 instead of grade 18 to monitor these most sensitive districts. 
The UNODC developed campaign in partnership with the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) with a simple message in Urdu which translates as "Stand up against human trafficking and migrant smuggling; it is illegal, unethical and un-Islamic.”
A senior FIA officer said that deployment of blue-eyed and influential officials at Immigration department is the main reason of increase of FIA officials’ involvement in such incidents.
He said the FIA officers deputed at airports not only mint money from innocent citizen by harassing them illegally but also get Immigration allowances apart from their salary. Another official said that Immigration officials are so influential that they often manage to get their postings back in Immigration department within a week of their transfers.