FIA initiated enquiry against top government officers over BISP assistance

FIA initiated enquiry against top government officers over BISP assistance

ISLAMABAD – The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Punjab Zone-1 has initiated an investigation against 16 government officers and their wives who allegedly fraudulently benefitted from the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) assistance meant for the poor and destitute.

A list of officers who will be interrogated by a special team headed by Director FIA Punjab Zone-1 includes 10 government officers of grade 17, two of grade 18, three of grade 19 and one senior officer of grade 20.

Domestic and foreign accounts and assets of wives of those 16 government officers are also being investigated.

According to sources, Director FIA Punjab Zone-1 has been himself monitoring the inquiry on the directives of the FIA’s director general, and the names of those officers will not be made public until completion of the investigation.

Special teams are investigating into irregularities in the BISP funds between the years 2010 to 2018.

On Jan. 29, Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Accountability Shahzad Akbar told the media that the government has referred cases against more than 2,000 government employees who benefited from the BISP to the FIA.