Acting on the instructions of Prime Minister Imran Khan, the Foreign Office on Saturday aborated a travel plan of top government officials.
Seven Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and three Interior Ministry officials were scheduled to leave for Vienna, Austria, at 3am on Saturday to seek “training” four four days (September 3 to September 7), but were stopped over a letter to the interior secretary written by Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua, cautinong the Interior Ministry.
The officials were reportedly invited by the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), a non-governmental organisation. In the letter, the foreign secretary expressed reservation over the NGO, saying that despite reminders details of the NGO had not been shared with the Foreign Office. “The NGO is not registered in Pakistan and Foreign Office does not have information about it.”
She advised that such tours should be avoided in the future. The officials who were going abroad included top Wajid Zia, FIA Immigration Director Muhammad Rizwan, FIA Interpol Director Tariq Nawaz Malik, FIA Training Director Javed Soonharo Jiskani, FIA Punjab Director Munir Ahmed Sheikh, AD Investigation Muhammad Tahir , Interior Ministry Additional Secretary Muhammad Siddique Sheikh, Joint Secretary Dilshad Babar, Section Officer Mahwish Riaz and a focal person of the FIA whose name was not mentioned.
Published in Daily Times, September 2nd 2018.
