LAHORE: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Lahore head Sarfraz Khan Virk, who is a BS-20 officer of Police Service of Pakistan, has been transferred ‘amid controversy over probe into the Lesco affairs’.

Mr Virk, who is reportedly very close to Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, is likely to be appointed in the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) as director. The NCCIA is a specialised body established of late by the government to investigate cybercrimes. It has replaced the cybercrime wing of the FIA.

As Mr Virk has been transferred to FIA headquarters Islamabad, another PSP official (BS-20) retired Capt Muhammad Ali Zia is appointed FIA Lahore chief.

Before the transfer of Mr Virk, as many 19 FIA officials were suspended last month from service in the light of findings of an inquiry conducted by former federal secretary Shahid Khan and additional secretary admin Sohail Habib Tajik into the Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) affairs.

The irony of the situation is that some ‘influential’ FIA officers, who were directly involved in the 2024 scam of over-billing, power theft, corruption and ‘wrongful’ electrification of Khayaban-i-Amin Housing Society, Lahore, got away scot-free,” an official told Dawn.

However, he said, Mr Virk’s transfer was not related to the Lesco probe as no liability was on his part in any inquiry.

In September last, Mr Virk and 10 other officials were transferred with immediate effect on matters related to the Passco and Lesco probes. However, the interior minister intervened and directed him (Virk) to continue working on the post.

The action against them was initiated on the report of an intelligence agency.

According to a source in the interior ministry, Mohsin Naqvi had sought action against certain Lesco officers through the FIA.

“Once the action was taken against the Lesco officers, they complained to two cabinet members of Shehbaz Sharif, one a federal minister and other an adviser, who got initiated an inquiry into the matter and subsequently the FIA investigators were transferred,” the source said.

He said the influential interior minister wants full control of the FIA and NCCIA, but the Shehbaz administration is also keen on appointing officers of its choice on some positions, causing confrontation between them.

Published in Dawn, July 9th, 2025