Supreme Court informed: FIA has no jurisdiction to initiate action against public office holders

Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Wednesday expressed its inability to proceed against public office holders involved in corruption, saying under the FIA Act 1974, the agency can only inquire and investigate the corrupt practices by public servants of federal government.
Submitting a report on behalf of Director General of FIA in pursuance of the apex court directives in the Panama Leaks case, Pir Jafar Shah, additional director law said, "The Agency has no jurisdiction to initiate legal action against the holders of public office being not defined in the FIA Act as well as the Prevention of the Corruption Act,1947".
Various petitioners including Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Jamaat-e-Islami, Awami Muslim League and an advocate Tariq Asad, had invoked the apex court jurisdiction, seeking disqualification of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his family members, over alleged involvement in Panama Papers. The Supreme Court on the other day has asked all the parties to file concise statements about Terms of Reference for formation of a judicial commission in the case, whereas the government officials who were made respondents were also told to file concise statement in general.
Filing the concise statement, the FIA said that the Foreign Exchange Act, 1947, is on the schedule of FIA Act, 1974 to take action against any individual involved in money sending abroad or in Pakistan from abroad through unlicensed money-changers through Hundi/Hawala system.
The agency further said that so far no complaint in this respect has been filed by any person with the FIA including the petitioners.
"The FIA being the prime investigating agency shall extend all possible assistance, in accordance with law, if any matter is entrusted to it by Supreme Court of Pakistan", the report concluded.