MULTAN: An inquiry team constituted on the direction of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) director general to probe the death of a line superintendent of the Multan Electric Power Company (Mepco) in the agency’s custody reached Multan on Saturday.

The funeral prayers for deceased Ziaul Haq were held at his native town of Vehari.

A test report of the deceased confirmed that he was infected with the coronavirus and the team of health department conducted the Covid-19 tests of the FIA staff and all the accused detained in the lock-up of the FIA office.

According to a laboratory report of the deceased’s samples conducted by the Nishtar Medical University and Hospital, the specimen of the deceased was collected through oropharyngeal swab and was received by the lab on April 16.

The report was generated on the same day according to which the deceased tested positive.

Sources in the FIA stated the inquiry team, consisting of Additional Director General (North) Sajid Ikram and Deputy Director Adeel Abbas, reached Multan to probe the matter and recorded initial statements of the FIA Multan staff, including Deputy Director Khwaja Hammad who was currently in-charge of the office, investigation team and co-accused.

They said a judicial inquiry into the death of the deceased had also been initiated and a magistrate visited the hospital. The entire office and lock-up were disinfected while the Covid-19 tests of all the accused detained in the FIA lock-up of were conducted; however, due to the shortage of kits the tests of half of the staff could not be conducted.

They said an application to lodge the FIR against the relevant staff had been submitted to the police; however, efforts were under way to exclude the name of a high-ranking officer belonging to an influential family.

FIA Multan office in-charge Khwaja Hammad refused to comment while saying that he was not authorised to give any official version and only the interior ministry could give any statement on the issue.

Published in Dawn, April 18th, 2021