GUJRANWALA, Oct 24 The FIA has again delegated executive powers of registering cases against human traffickers and fraudsters, and corrupt officials of federal departments to the Gujranwala circle.

Aside from this, the FIA asked the complainants to get their cases directed to the agency without seeking court orders, it was learnt on Saturday. According to reports, since the FIA established its circle office (passport cell) at Gujranwala all cases against human traffickers and deportees besides fraudsters and others were being registered here. But the agency later withdrew the executive powers of the circle office and transferred these to the FIA director-general in Islamabad.

The agency transferred these powers to the FIA director in Lahore when complainants of the Gujranwala division protested that they could not reach Islamabad in time because of long distances and heavy expenditures of journey.

Since most of accused human traffickers and deportees belonged to the Gujranwala division, they were demanding that executive powers of the local circle office should be restored.

Gujranwala FIA circle deputy director Aqeel Ahmad Qureshi confirmed the report and said that complainants could get registered cases at the local office.

INQUIRY An inquiry into alleged anomalies in the annual election of the Gujranwala Chamber of Commerce and Industry has been started.

An inquiry committee, comprising trade organization section officer Syed Tauqir Hussain Shah and deputy secretary Arshad Khan, recorded statements of leaders of the ruling Founder Group and complainant Unity Group here on Saturday. The committee recorded statements of GCCI president Khalid Mehmood Chadha, Muhammad Iqbal, Azhar Aslam, Mazhar Anjum, Khawaja Shuja, Rana Shehzad Hafeez, Muhammad Azam Bhutta, Nawaz Ahmad Bajwa, Aslam Israr and Muhammad Ali of the Founder group and former presidents of chamber Akhlaq Ahmad Butt, Khawaja Zarar Kaleem, Shaikh Sarwat Ikram, Khawaja Tahir Hussain, Muhammad Aqeel, Shaikh Tariq Mehmood, Ziaullah Irfani and others of the Unity group.

Leaders of both groups accused each other of using unfair means during the chamber's election.

The director reserved the decision which could be announced on Monday (tomorrow).