LAHORE, Sept 6: Seven 'influential' deputy-directors of the Federal Investigation Agency, who have been sent on deputation, are allegedly working in violation of the FIA Act, 1974.

Under the rule 12 of the act, investigation officials, mostly from the Police Service of Pakistan, accounts, Customs, income tax, and engineering and legal, can be appointed assistant and deputy-directors on deputation in the agency.

The officials on deputation, according to rules, should have a role related to their parent departments and those from accounts, customs, income tax, and engineering and law cannot perform their duties as investigators.

However, four of the seven deputy-directors do not belong to these five groups, well-placed sources in the interior ministry disclosed. They are Wasif Abbas (District Management Group), Jawad Qureshi, Khalid Gardezi and Mairaj Arif (Office Management Group).

The others are Abdul Rahman, Waqar Khilji and Sajjad Tasleem (Income Tax Department). They are working as investigators either in the anti-crime wing or economic crime wing.

The officials on deputation from accounts, customs, income tax, and engineering and law are allowed to have only a supervisory role. Most of the officials have been working in the agency on deputation for several years.

Besides, Sarfraz Gauhar of ASF and Mian Asif of Customs are working as investigators in the passport cell in Lahore and the anti-crime wing in violation of the act.

Officials said these deputy-directors had connections with top bureaucrats and politicians. "The powerful people have made the agency a dumping ground for their kin." They said these officials enjoyed patronage and the authorities concerned never dared to check the violation.

"The agency's performance cannot be improved unless such a violation is checked and officials stick to the duties they are qualified for," they added. FIA director-general Mohib Asad was not available for comments.