LAHORE: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has taken disciplinary action against 214 of its officials over the past four months of 2025 in response to growing complaints of human trafficking, corruption and inefficiency, officials said on Thursday.
According to official sources, the punishments included the dismissal of 76 officers from service, demotion of nine officials to lower ranks, the removal of two others, and various penalties imposed on 127 personnel. Those penalised ranged in rank from constables to deputy directors and were found guilty in departmental inquiries.
The wide-ranging action followed the establishment of the FIA’s first Directorate of Internal Accountability (DIA) at the agency’s headquarters in August 2025. The move was part of a broader reform agenda aimed at strengthening internal oversight and addressing allegations of misconduct within the organisation. Similar accountability structures were later replicated at the zonal level under the supervision of zonal directors.
A senior FIA official said the reforms were accelerated after several deadly boat incidents in Europe and Africa, in which a large number of Pakistani migrants lost their lives. Subsequent high-level inquiries revealed the alleged involvement of some FIA officials in human smuggling networks. Concerns over governance were also highlighted in an International Monetary Fund report titled Pakistan: Governance and Corruption Diagnostic, released in November 2025, which pointed to corruption in public institutions as a key factor behind inefficiency.
To improve accountability, FIA Director General Riffat Mukhtar Raja delegated disciplinary powers to additional director generals of the North and South zones and to zonal directors, enabling them to take action against officers up to grade 16. This decentralisation, officials said, helped speed up inquiries and enforcement.
You May Also Like: Karachi Streets Remain Unsafe Despite Decline in Street Crimes in 2025
The FIA also developed an online technology module for the DIA to monitor the progress of cases from the filing of complaints through preliminary and departmental inquiries to final disposal, including appeals. The system allows senior officers to track performance and outcomes more effectively.
Of the punishments awarded, officials said around 20 per cent related to immigration complaints, another 20 per cent involved faulty investigations, while approximately 40 per cent were imposed for indiscipline and inefficiency. Additional actions were also taken independently by zonal directors and additional director generals.
FIA dismissed 76 officials from service, demoted nine to the lower ranks and sacked two others besides awarding punishments to 127 others.https://t.co/RaZ8EOs1OO
— Dawn.com (@dawn_com) January 2, 2026
The FIA currently operates through 12 zones across the country, from Gilgit-Baltistan to Karachi and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while Azad Jammu and Kashmir remains outside its jurisdiction.
Officials said a key reform was the consolidation of all accountability processes under the DIA, removing them from the human resource wing to avoid concentration of powers and improve transparency. The reforms were carried out with the backing of the Minister for Interior and Narcotics Control, who, according to sources, has actively supported efforts to clean up the agency and improve service delivery, including visits to airports and FIA offices to oversee enforcement measures.
