Daily Times

Any law enforcement force has certain traits which differentiate it from other departments because of their discipline, professionalism and impartiality. The FIA is considered as a role model for other law enforcement agencies. But with the passage of time such characteristics are being eroded. Now, the FIA has become a dual set of rules for its employees – one for the elite class of PSPs and other for the inductees of FIA. If a complaint is received against any official or officer recruited at FIA’s own strength, the grilling process is initiated immediately.

Either the official is suspended or his field posting is withdrawn. In the result of disciplinary proceedings either an official is dismissed or demoted. Some officials have to face even criminal cases. But the same yardstick is not followed when the allegations are leveled against any PSP officer. Never in the history of FIA, any disciplinary action was taken against this class. This disparity has created rifts among the two ranks. Since its Director General always comes from the PSP, so he always looks after his class interests in the FIA.

If you are a notorious, incompetent and kicked out by all the regular provincial police forces then you are warmly welcome to occupy any key post in FIA

Most of the lucrative postings are reserved for PSPs and FIA’s own personnel are considered untouchables for the same. With a one or two exceptions almost all the zonal directors are PSPs. The formula is very simple. If you are a notorious, incompetent and kicked out by all the regular provincial police forces then you are warmly welcome to occupy any key post in FIA. But if you are a dedicated, hard working loyal officer but a non-PSP then u have to cut a sorry figure. If one wants to understand how authoritarian PSPs are in FIA then there is a classic example of one such officer who is a BPS-19 Police officer belonging to a remote rural district of Sindh. This gentleman is notorious for his ill mannerism, bad mouthing, corruption and malpractices yet he is literally running the show in FIA. In the era of Bashir Memon as DG FIA this guy was calling all the shots.

When the selection process for UN peace mission started this officer did a very strange thing in order to show his muscles. Instead of requesting nomination of competent officers from all field offices of FIA, he wrote a letter with his own signature recommending his own name as the only suitable candidate for UN peace mission. This created great resentment in FIA as even those who previously participated in UN missions were ignored. By misusing his official position, he again managed to go to Saudi Arabia on Hajj Mission. But this saga never ended there. When the selection of officers for FIA’s link offices abroad started, the same additional director again manipulated the whole process by getting himself nominated for Italy as Counselor.

His diplomatic passport was ready to be delivered when all of sudden the matter was brought into the notice of the Ministry of Interior. The ministry halted the entire process as the whole process was carried out without any principles and proper policy. This PSP is so infuriated that he has filed a case in the high court in order to exert pressure on Ministry of Interior. One wonders whether FIA has become infertile as only this Additional Director is nominated for all important tasks being jack of all trades and no one else is able to fill in the gap.

He is famous for violating all official decorum while dealing with his subordinates. The excessive use of abusive language is the hallmark of his character. In a recent incident he got a serving FIA officer illegally arrested by Islamabad police who was later released by them fearing legal consequences. An FIA Sub Inspector complained against his alleged misbehavior yet it seems that words discipline and official norms are not meant for this PSP. Most of the FIA employees avoid even seeing him as his arrogance is a pain in the neck. It would have been a normal thing had Mr. Wajid Zia was not running the affairs of FIA as its DG.

Being a very humble, polite, soft spoken and know for his kindheartedness it seems very strange that such strange PSP is working under his command. The same PSP was thrown out of Islamabad police by the then IGP Tahir Alam who sent a detailed report to the government regarding his corruption and wrongdoings. In order to save FIA ranks from further unrest this additional director should not only be surrendered being the remains of Bashir Memon but a proper inquiry should be initiated to be probe how this gentleman has been able to acquire huge assets beyond his ostensible means despite belonging to a very humble origin.

No doubt he has purged the FIA from most of the incompetent, corrupt and problematic elements but this additional director is still sitting in the administration. This is a test case for FIA DG Wajid Zia who is known as the Hero of Panama JIT and death blower of sugar mafia.

The writer is a journalist