ISLAMABAD: Federal Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal has reshuffled top brass of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to build his own team.
Currently, the agency is being headed by Bashir Ahmed who was appointed in August 2017 by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.
According to sources in the ministry and the agency, FIA Islamabad Director Mazhar Kakakhel has been transferred to the Counter Terrorism Wing and Shakeel Durrani has replaced him as the agency’s director for Islamabad.
FIA Peshawar Director Bisharat Shahzad has also been replaced by Shuja Naveed, and Shahzad has been appointed in the FIA Academy Islamabad.
Acting Additional Director FIA Karachi Asim Qaimkhani has been asked to take charge as additional director immigration – a post he held before being appointed as acting director.
Sources said in the coming days, Director Punjab Dr Usman Anwar is also likely to be internally transferred. Dr Anwar was the interior ministry’s representative in the committee formed to probe the all-important Dawn Leaks.
However, the sources said that the shuffle was not meant to punish anyone but the services of some high officials were just being rotated.
The FIA, which is a border control, counter-intelligence and security agency, is tasked with investigative jurisdiction on operations against terrorism, espionage, federal crimes, fascism, smuggling as well as infringement and other specific crimes.
