14 February 2004	Saturday	22 Zilhaj 1424

PESHAWAR, Feb 13: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) will shortly induct more female assistant sub-inspectors at the immigration cell at Peshawar International Airport, officials said here on Friday.

Under the plan, five female ASIs would assume charge after completing their training course at the FIA Academy in Islamabad, increasing the strength at Peshawar airport to 10, the official sources said.

The FIA is replacing the male staff at the immigration cells with females at all the international airports of the country in keeping with a directive of the federal interior ministry, an official said.

Up to now, 60 women ASIs had been working in the immigration cell at different airports of the country, the sources said, adding that the FIA would hand over immigration functions to women under a step-by-step plan.

They said the FIA had also planned to create vacancies of women sub-inspectors, inspectors and additional directoress to fill the gap of senior women officers in the immigration cell.

"Women are more polite and less corrupt as compared to their male colleagues," the sources commented. In all the developed countries, only women officials handled immigration matters.