Online facility for hearing: FIA chief assures KCCI of looking into possibility

KARACHI: The Director-General of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Dr Sanaullah Abbasi, while responding to KCCI's suggestion, assured it to look into the possibility of providing online facility for hearing to the members of business community in order to save them from traveling all the way to FIA circles in far-flung areas where they were being summoned by officials to clarify their position.

"This online hearing mechanism could be set up for handling cases/notices being received from faraway circles all over Pakistan to minimize the hardships being faced by the business community," he added while speaking at an online meeting which was also attended by the General Secretary of BMG, A Q Khalil, President of KCCI, Shariq Vohra, chairman of Law & Order Subcommittee Junaid-ur-Rehman, former presidents of KCCI Majyd Aziz and Iftikhar Vohra, Director of FIA South Amir Farooqi, KCCI managing committee members and FIA officials.

FIA DG Sanaullah Abbasi stated that it was the motive of FIA to fully serve and facilitate the business community and provide maximum possible solutions to the problems, besides paying special attention to business community's suggestions as they, being the backbone of the country, generate economic activities.

He also nominated Director of FIA South Amir Farooqi as the focal person for dealing with complaints being raised by the Karachi chamber which would further improve coordination between the two institutions.

Referring to suggestions given by General Secretary BMG AQ Khalil, Sanaullah Abbasi assured that these suggestions after consultation with FIA team will certainly be incorporated in the policy with a view to improve visa on arrival facility at the airports.

While briefing the meeting participants about numerous initiatives taken for promptly dealing with digital banking and cyber crime cases, he said that it has always been his priority to ensure business-friendly approach while dealing with all such cases so that the economic activities were not stalled.

"Cyber crime has been rising as we are receiving a lot of complaints. Hence, we are making all out efforts and will try our best to resolve such complaint at the earliest," he added.

General Secretary BMG A.Q. Khalil underscored the need to simplify the visa on arrival facility at the airports as the foreigners, particularly businessmen, face immense hardships in availing this facility mainly due to poor attitude of FIA officials deployed at the airports.

"Under the existing policy, a Deputy Director of FIA is wholly and solely responsible for either issuing or rejecting visa to any foreign investor without consulting with any chamber of commerce or relevant local businessmen. Such bureaucratic hurdles create a lot of problems," he added. He further advised DG FIA to publicize the progress reports and achievements in dealing with the menace of cyber crimes as a lot was being claimed but nothing much has been publicized.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021