December 08, 2008	Monday	Zilhaj 9, 1429

ISLAMABAD, Dec 7: Prime Minister’s Adviser on Interior Affairs Rehman Malik has suspended two officers of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for including the name of Sindh Home Minister Dr Zulfiqar Mirza in a list of proclaimed offenders in a bank fraud case and issuing his arrest warrants.

According to a handout issued here on Sunday, Mr Malik described the act of FIA Hyderabad’s Additional Director Bashir Ahmad Bhutto and Assistant Director Abdul Hameed Bhutto against the close aide to President Asif Ali Zardari as “severe negligence”. The ministry was of the view that the name of Dr Mirza had been included in the outdated list of proclaimed offenders without verifying the latest position.

The agency apologised to Dr Mirza and the adviser appointed FIA Director Shahid Nadeem Baloch to investigate the matter within three days.

FIA officials had issued orders of immediate arrest of Dr Mirza and 32 other people of Hyderabad and Badin region in bank fraud cases registered over the past 21 years. The list comprised names of human smugglers, agents, facilitators, absconders and proclaimed offenders.

The additional director had issued the orders in compliance with orders of

FIA Karachi Zone Director Mir Zubair Jabbar who is in-charge of the Khanani and Kalia case.