The Federal Investigation Agency (; reporting name: FIA) is a border control, criminal investigation, counter-intelligence and security agency under the control of the Interior Secretary of Pakistan, tasked with investigative jurisdiction on undertaking operations against terrorism, espionage, federal crimes, smuggling as well as infringement and other specific crimes.
Codified under the Constitution of Pakistan in 1974, the institution functions under the Ministry of Interior (MoI). The FIA also undertakes international operations with the close co-operation and co-ordination of Interpol. Headquartered in Islamabad, the agency has various branches and field offices located in all major cities throughout Pakistan.
Objectives
The FIA's main goal and priority is to protect the nation's interests and defend Pakistan, to uphold and enforce criminal law, and law enforcement in the country.
Departments and priorities
As of 2021, FIA has 11 active departments to lead criminal charges and investigation, with priorities: Anti-Corruption Anti Human Trafficking and Smuggling Counter-Terrorism Economic Crime Electricity, Gas, Oil Anti Theft Unit FIA Academy Immigration Interpol Intellectual Property Rights Integrated Border Management System National Response Center For Cyber Crimes
Priorities
Counter-terrorism Wing (CTW)—Tasked to protect Pakistan from all kinds of terrorist attacks, including cyber, bioterrorism, chemical, electronic and nuclear terrorism (see counter-terrorism). Anti-Corruption Wing (ACW)—Tasked with undertaking investigations and combat all public corruption at all levels of command (see also NAB). Economic Crime Wing (ECW)—Mandate to protect Pakistan from economic terrorism and protection of intellectual property rights of the people. (see also: Economic terrorism). Immigration Wing (IW)—Combat human trafficking activities and resist illegal immigration in Pakistan. Technical Wing (TW)—Tasked to make efforts to protect Pakistan against foreign intelligence operations and espionage (see counterintelligence and counterproliferation) as well as using scientific assistance to resolve high-technology crimes. Legal Branch (LB)—Responsible to provide legal guidance in all administrative and operational matters as well as protect civil rights. National Central Bureau (NCB)—Tasked to combat transnational/national criminal organisations and enterprises (see organised crime) with assistance from Interpol and the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Anti Trafficking Unit (ATU)—Tasked to combat major violent crimes, to ensure country-wide coverage of human trafficking, as well as to prevent and protect the victims of trafficking.
History
Background
In 1942, the British government established the Special Police Establishment (SPE) in British Raj during the midst of World War II. Originally the Police Establishment was tasked to take up investigation of corruption in Indian Civil Service (ICS), rampant in the Supplies and Procurement Department of the then British Raj. After the independence of Pakistan in 1947, the SPE was equally divided between the governments of India, which formed the CBI, and Pakistan, which retained it as the Pakistan Special Police Establishment (PSPE) in 1947. With the passage of time, the PSPE, apart from investigating the offences of bribery and corruption against officials of the federal government, was also given powers to investigate cases relating to offences under the following laws:
Official Secret Act, 1923
Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, 1947
Passport Offenses Act, 1952
Customs Act, 1959
Creation
After the 1971 war with India, police reforms were carried out by Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto after adopting recommendations from the report submitted by bureaucrat G. Ahmad in Prime Minister Secretariat, on 7 March 1972. The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) was created on 13 January 1975, after being codified in the Constitution with the passing of the FIA Act, 1974, by the State parliament. Initially, its first roles were to build efforts against organised crimes, smuggling, human trafficking, immigration offences, and passport scandals.
When the FIA was created, it took cases on corruption at every level of the government. Although ostensibly a crime-investigation service, the FIA also did investigations of accused political opponents and critics of financial impropriety, from tax evasions to taking bribery while in office.