FIA probes alleged bribery in Karachi protector clearance process

FIA probes alleged bribery in Karachi protector clearance process

KARACHI: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has launched an investigation into alleged bribery, illegal payments and irregularities in the protector clearance process at the Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment (BEOE) in Karachi.

The inquiry began after four citizens lodged complaints alleging that an agent, Nadeem Arain, had collected a total of Rs76,400 from them in connection with protector clearance.

The complainants, identified as Ahmed Mukhtar, Muhammad Naveed, Asad Sabir and Ahad Hussain, accused the agent of receiving the money during the clearance process.

According to details of the case, the FIA Immigration Task Team conducted an initial assessment of the complaints before referring the matter to the FIA Anti-Corruption Circle (ACC) in Karachi for further action.

To examine the allegations, an FIA team visited the BEOE office located in Block 6 of the Pakistan Employees Cooperative Housing Society (PECHS), Karachi, accompanied by the complainants.

During the visit, the citizens identified Nadeem Ahmed, a former employee of the bureau, whom the FIA team subsequently questioned as part of its preliminary inquiry.

The investigation aims to examine the allegations of illegal payments and procedural irregularities in the protector clearance process. Further action will depend on the findings of the inquiry.