Rehman Malik shows he has a heart of gold. DG FIA Tariq Pervez retires gracefully.

DG FIA Tariq Pervez retires gracefully
Malik shows he has a heart of gold

Tuesday, December 30, 2008 (The News)

By Tariq Butt

ISLAMABAD: The Director General of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Tariq Pervez, refused to get extension and retired on Monday on attaining the superannuation age of 60.

“Ask the advisor,” he told this correspondent when inquired whether he was offered extension. However, a source said that Interior Advisor Rehman Malik wanted to give extension to the polite but competent police officer of grade 22. However, Tariq Pervez was not interested.

“I am fully satisfied that I retire with honour and dignity, and this is very important to me,” he said. Tariq Pervez plans to engage in counter-terrorism efforts and may join a think-tank. To a question, he said he faced pressure for many times during his service. “When one does the right job, one is bound to face such situations.”

During his excellent career, Tariq Pervez has to his credit resolving several terrorist attacks including suicide bombings after this scourge struck Pakistan in the wake of the 9/11 episode. He always enjoyed good reputation as far as his integrity was concerned.

Under his stewardship, the terrorists, who had tried to assassinate former President Pervez Musharraf, and who had bombed the Marriott Hotel Islamabad and resorted to many other high-profile bombings in the ongoing wave of terrorism, were traced. He had prepared a useful book of suspected terrorists.

Tariq Pervez served in the FIA for many years. A most remarkable but eye-opening incident related to his recommendations to the then FIA chief for dismissal of Rehman Malik, a senior agency official at the time, on a variety of serious charges in late nineties. Both were then posted in the FIA.

As luck would have it when Malik became all-powerful Interior Advisor in the present government for being very close to President Asif Ali Zardari, he plainly conveyed to Tariq Pervez that he has forgotten what the officer had proposed about him. The advisor told him that he should not worry about any victimization by him and he would continue to be the FIA director general during his incumbency.

Not only that, Malik kept treating Tariq Pervez decently and never gave any sign that the officer had once suggested his sacking from service on several charges. Before penning down his recommendations, Tariq Pervez had carried out an in-depth investigation into the allegations against Malik on the directions of his high-ups.

Throughout his outstanding police career, Tariq Pervez has been a thorough professional but straightforward officer, who has been more concerned about his official work and assignment rather than “politics” like a number of other bureaucrats.

Meanwhile, it is learnt that names of two senior police officers including Tariq Khosa, who has earlier served in the FIA, and Asif Nawaz are being considered for appointment as the FIA chief.

The powerful National Accountability Bureau (NAB) law had taken away many vital powers of the FIA especially relating to investigating corruption and other crimes. This significantly changed the domain of the agency, which became more engaged in detection of terrorist attacks with its special investigation unit doing this job, cyber crime and intellectual property rights offences.

However, after the NAB has been made irrelevant, all the old powers of the FIA have been given back to it and hundreds of its posts that had been taken by the NAB have been revived. The FIA has now been provided teeth as a result of which it has again emerged as an agency to be reckoned with.

The latest major case that the FIA under Tariq Pervez laid its hands on pertained to the alleged scandal involving Khanani & Kalia International for allegedly transferring a hefty amount of foreign exchange out of Pakistan. After 9/11, a number of FIA officials have been given specialized training with the American funding in different fields.