LAHORE, Dec 3: The committee constituted by the government to work out the modalities of the proposed merger of the crime and economic crime wings of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) with the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) by Dec 25 has not convened even a single meeting since its formation in October.

The federal cabinet had decided to merge the FIA crime and economic wings with the NAB in a meeting on Sept 20. The cabinet had also decided to transfer the FIA officials and staff members of both the wings to the NAB and the remaining staff to the surplus pool of the establishment division for absorption in other government departments.

The five-member committee, which is headed by a senior official from the establishment division and its remaining four members — one each from the departments of law and finance and the NAB and FIA — has been assigned the task of determining the status of the FIA employees and decide whether they would be allowed to join the NAB service or go on deputation.

The committee has also to decide the fate of the pending cases of the FIA crime and economic crimes wings. No list of employees has so far been prepared by the FIA sub-offices for submission to the committee. — Reporter