Issue No 6, Aug 26 - Sep 1, 2002 | ISSN:1684-2075 | satribune.com

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Complete Story

Watch Out! They are coming after You!

Special SAT Report

ISLAMABAD: Beware Pakistanis living in US, UK, UAE, Japan and Hong Kong. The Pakistani spook squad is coming to check out what you are doing in foreign lands. The idea is to spy on Pakistanis and in the process get some lucrative postings abroad, as well as blackmail anyone caught on the wrong foot.

In a proposal generated by the Director General, Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) of Pakistan, late in April this year, the agency wants to send special officers to these countries to report back home about its citizens. Nine so-called strong reasons were given in the proposal to justify the posting of FIA men in these world capitals, among them to check acquisition of assets by Pakistani residents abroad, check flight of capital from Pakistan, keep an eye on Pakistani officers visiting abroad and detect corrupt business practices. Click to see FIA Proposal Document Page-1 | Page2

The move is not new. During the second Benazir Bhutto government in 1995, a similar proposal had almost been approved but some wise guy in the Finance Ministry saw through the game and never released the funds. The spies waiting tobecome international Agents 007, never got their chance.

Now they think the ruling lot on top is dumb, being in uniform. In the name of providing some juicy details about some marked Pakistanis abroad, the booted bosses may create some cushy foreign postings. The FIA has apparently been taken in by the catchy propaganda that foreign exchange was now available in abundance, as they hear the Finance Minister repeating day and night that there are more than $7 billion in foreign exchange reserves available for such extravaganzas.

An interesting spying theme to be pursued by these spymasters would be to "check smuggling of precious stones and antiques" from Pakistan. How on earth will they do so sitting in Washington DC, Tokyo or London is not clear but they will be on the lookout at the Sotheby auction to detect if any Pakistani gems are being sold off at discounted rates. Why can't they do thus job in Pakistan and what has been the success rate so far are questions they don't want anyone to raise.

The authors of the proposal want these FIA officers to be appointed in the Pakistan Embassies so that they get diplomatic status and can also boss over other embassy staff, demanding their share in whatever local income the junior staff can generate. Duty free stuff, specially booze, may be a bonus.

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