LAHORE, Aug 20: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) is expected to be wound up by next month, it was learnt.

Sources said that the functions of the FIA would be divided between the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and the proposed Immigration and Naturalization Authority (INA).

A summary in this respect has already been sent to the chief executive for approval who, according to sources, is expected to decide the FIA’s fate within a couple of weeks.

Sources said that the federal government planned to form the INA to improve the controls over illegal immigration into the country. However, the NAB has demanded that the FIA’s Anti-Corruption wing be merged with it.

A meeting between the FIA, the NAB and the Punjab Anti-Corruption Establishment officials was held in Islamabad to discuss these issues a couple of days ago.

The NAB took the plea that it had performed well during the last three years or so and its performance entitled it to have the FIA’s anti-corruption wing merged with it.

“The function of the NAB and the FIA is almost the same. So why not the latter be merged with the former?,” the NAB officials argued at the meeting.

The FIA officials, however, suggested that it might not be feasible for the NAB to cope with petty crime as it has so far been dealing only with high profile cases. They said that some 20 FIA officials were already working with the NAB.

They said that no change in the working pattern of the FIA was proposed except for a change in the name.

They said that the FIA employees would have to perform the same functions in the other organizations. “That was way it is described as a futile exercise to change its (FIA’s) name unless some extraordinary measures were taken to enhance the efficiency of the FIA.”