ISLAMABAD, Dec 2: Restructuring of the Federal Investigation Agency will be completed in the current month under which two of its main components will be handed over to the National Accountability Bureau, it is learnt.

NAB will get more powers and its ambit of investigation will be expanded, a source in the interior ministry told Dawn on Monday.

The FIA would be divided into two sections: one will be merged with NAB and the other will be called ‘Immigration and Naturalization Authority’.

President Gen Pervez Musharraf and his the then cabinet had given approval for the restructuring.

The source identified the FIA components being handed over to NAB as Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes.

He said meetings were being held between the FIA and the NAB authorities about the transfer of staff, cases, assets and offices of the former to the latter.

Sources in the FIA said the officials of the agency were not happy with the restructuring decision. They said some 1,000 personnel of the Crime and Economic Wing had been offered to join the NAB.

Final lists of the staff to be transferred to NAB were being prepared. However, these employees are reluctant to join NAB as they have not been offered any incentive by NAB. Also, these employees are not ready to lose their powerful and independent jobs in the FIA.

The FIA officials are of the view that it would not be feasible for NAB to cope with petty crimes as it has so far been dealing with high-profile cases.