FEDERAL INVESTIGATION AGENCY ACT, 1974 (VIII OF 1975)
An Act to provide for the constitution of a Federal Investigation Agency
(Gazette of Pakistan, Extra-ordinary, Part-I, 17th January, 1975)
Whereas it is expedient to provide for the constitution of a Federal Investigation Agency for the investigation of certain offences committed in connection with matters concerning the Federal Government, and for matters connected therewith;
It is hereby enacted as follows: -
1. Short title, extent and commencement:
(1) This Act may be called the Federal Investigation Agency Act, 1974.
(2) It extents to the whole of Pakistan and also applied to all citizens of Pakistan
and
Public Servants, wherever they may be.
(3) It shall come to force at once.
2. Definitions: In this Act, unless there is anything repugnant in the
subject or contest: -
a. “Agency” means the Federal Investigation Agency constituted under
section 3;
b. “Code” means the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898 (Act V of 1898);
c. “Director General” means the Director General of Agency;
d. “Provincial Police” means the Police constituted by Provincial
Government under
e. the Police Act, 1861 (V of 1861);
f. “Public Servant” means a public servant as defined in Section 21 of
the Pakistan Penal Code (Act XL V of 1860), and includes an employee
of any corporation or other body or organization set up controlled or
administered by or under the authority of the Federal Government;
g. “Special Police” means the Pakistan Special Police Establishment
constitution under the Pakistan Special Police Establishment Ordinance
1948, (VII of 1948);
h. “Specified Persons” mean the persons who were appointed to posts
in or under a Provincial Police in pursuance of Article 3 of the Special
Police and Provincial Police (Amalgamation) Order, 1962 (P.O. No. 1 of
1962); and
i. “Rules” means rules made under this Act.
3. Constitution of the Agency:
(1) Notwithstanding any thing contained in any other law of the time being in force,
the Federal Government may constitute an Agency to be called the Federal
Investigation Agency for inquiry into, and investigation of the offences specified in
the Schedule, including an attempt or conspiracy to commit, and abetment of, any
such offence.
(2) The Agency shall consist of a Director General to be appointed by the Federal
Government and such number of other officers as the Federal Government may,
from time to time, appoint to be members of the Agency.
4. Superintendence and administration of the Agency:
(1) The Superintendence of the Agency shall vest in the Federal Government.
(2) The administration of the Agency shall vest in the Director General who shall
exercise in respect of the Agency such of the powers of an Inspector General of
Police under the Police Act, 1861 (V of 1861), as may be prescribed by rules.
5. Powers of the members of the Agency:
(1) Subject to any order which the Federal Government may make in this behalf,
the members of the Agency shall, for the purpose of an inquiry or investigation
under this Act, have throughout Pakistan such powers, including powers relating to
search, arrest of persons and seizure of property, and such duties, privileges and
liabilities as the officers of a Provincial Police have in relation to the investigation of
offences under the Code or any other law for the time being in force.
(2) Subject to rules, if any, a member of the Agency not below the rank of a Sub-
Inspector may, for the purposes of any inquiry or investigation under this Act,
exercise any of the powers of an officer-in-charge of a Police Station in any area in
which he is for the time being and, when so exercising such powers, shall be
deemed to be an officer-in-charge of a Police Station discharging his functions as
such within the limits of his station.
(3) Without prejudice to the generality of the provisions of the sub-section (1) and
sub-section (2), any member of the Agency not below the rank of Sub-Inspector
authorized by the Director General in this behalf may arrest without warrant any
person who has committed, or against whom a reasonable suspicion exists that he
has committed, any of the offences referred to sub-section (1) of Section 3.
(4) For the purpose of the exercise by the members of the Agency of the powers of
an officer-in-charge of a Police Station,” Police Station” includes any place declared,
generally or specially, by the Federal Government to be a Police Station within the
meaning of the Code.
(5) If, in the opinion of a member of the Agency conducting an investigation, any
property which is the subject-matter of the investigation is likely to be removed,
transferred or otherwise disposed of before an order of the appropriate authority for
its seizure is obtained, such member may, by order in writing, direct the owner or
any person who is, for the time being, possession thereof not to remove, transfer or
otherwise dispose of such property in any manner except with the previous
permission of that member and such order shall be subject to any order made by
the Court having jurisdiction in the matter.
(6) Any contravention of an order made under sub-section (5) shall be punishable
with rigorous imprisonment for a term which may be extend to one year, or with
fine, or with both.
5-A. Certain Officers of the Agency deemed to be public Prosecutors:
Notwithstanding anything contained in any order law for the time being in force the
Assistant Directors (Legal) and the Deputy Directors (Law) of the Agency shall be
deemed to be Public Prosecutors and shall be competent to institute and conduct
any proceedings in cases sent up for trial by the Agency in the Special Courts
constituted under any law and the courts subordinate to the High Court. (Added
through FIA (Amendment) Ordinance 2002)
6. Power to amend the Schedule:
The Federal Government may, by notification in the official Gazette, amend the
Schedule so as to add any entry thereto or modify or omit any entry therein.
7. Delegation of Powers :
The Director-General may by order in writing, direct that all or any of his powers
under this Act or the rules shall, subject to such conditions, if any, as may be
specified in the order, be exercisable also by any member of the Agency so
specified.
8. Indemnity:
No suit, prosecution or other legal proceeding shall lie against the Federal
Government, any member of the Agency or any other person exercising any power
or performing any function under this Act or the rules for any thing which is in good
faith done or intended to be done under this Act or the rules.
9. Power to make rules:
(1) The Federal Government may, by notification in the official Gazette, make rules
for carrying out the purposes of this Act.
(2) In particular and without prejudice to the generality of the fore-going power,
such rules may provide for all or any of the following matters, namely: -
a. The terms and conditions of service of the Director General and
other members of the Agency and the qualifications for
recruitment to various posts.
b. The powers and functions of the members of the Agency in
relation to the conduct of inquiries and investigations;
c. The nature and extent of the assistance with the Agency may
provide to Provincial investigating agencies;
d. The powers of the Inspector General of Police under the Police
Act, 1861 (V of 1861), which shall be exercisable by the Director
General and
e. The manner in which rewards may be given to the members of
the Agency or of the public for rendering commendable services.
10. Repeal:
(1) The Pakistan Special Police Establishment, 1948 (VII of 1948), and the Special
Police and Provincial Police (Amalgamation) Order, 1962 (P.O. No.1 of 1962),
hereinafter referred to respectively as the said Ordinance and the said Order, are
hereby repealed.
(2) Upon the repeal of the said Ordinance: -
a) All persons who were members of the Special Police immediately
before such repeal, including the specified persons shall stand
transferred to the Agency and shall, subject to sub-section (5), be
entitled to the same terms and conditions to which they were entitled
immediately before such repeal; and
b) Any inquiry or investigation pending with the Special Police
immediately before such repeal shall continue to be conducted by the
Agency.
(3) Notwithstanding the repeal of the said order, but subject to sub-section (4),
every specified person shall continue to be appointed in or under the Provincial
Police in or under which he was holding a post immediately before the
commencement of this Act.
(4) On the recommendation of the Director General and with the concurrence of the
Provincial Government concerned, the Federal Government, may direct that such of
the specified persons referred to sub-section (3) as may, within thirty days of the
commencement of this Act, express their willingness to serve in or under the
Agency shall be appointed to posts in or under the Agency.
(5) A specified person referred to in clause (a) of sub-section (2) and a person in
respect of whom a direction is issued under sub-section (4) shall, upon the repeal
of the said ordinance or, as the case may be, the issue of such direction, cease to
hold a post in or under the Provincial Police concerned and shall be entitled to the
same terms and conditions of service to which he was entitled immediately before
such repeal or the issue of such directions.
SCHEDULE OF FIA ACT, 1974 1. Offences punishable under sections k [120-B, 121,122, 123, 123-A, 124, 124
A,161,162,163,
164,165-A,b[201], 217, 218,245,255,256,257,258,259,260,261,263 k[300,301, 302, 324, 332,333,334,335,336,337, 337-A, 337-B, 337-C,337- D,337-E,337-F], 353 k[365-A] 366-B, 402-A,402-B, 402-C,403,404, b[406,407,408], b[411,418,419,], a[420], 435, 436, 440, 467], a[468,471], b[472], 477-A, 489-A, 489-B, 489-C, 489-D,489-E g[489-F] of the Pakistan Penal Code (Act XLV of 1860)
[Total = 64]
2) Offences punishable under the Explosive Substance Act, 1908 (VI of 1908)
3) Offences punishable under the Official Secret Act. 1923 (XIX of 1923)
4) Offences punishable under the Foreigners Act, 1946 (XXXI of 1946)
5) Offences punishable under the Prevention of Corruption Act. 1947 (II of 1947).
6) Offences punishable under the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act. 1947
7) Offences punishable under the Import and Export (Control) Act. 1950 (XXXIX of 1950)
8) Offences punishable under Banking Companies Ordinance, 1962 (LVII of 1962)
9) Offences punishable under the Pakistan Arms Ordinance, 1965 (W.P. Ord XX of 1965)
10) Offences punishable under section the 156 of the Customs Act, 1969 (IV of 1969)
11) Offences punishable under the Foreign Exchange Repatriation Regulation, 1972.
12) Offences punishable under the Foreign Assets (Declaration) Regulation 1972.
13) (Omitted)
14) Offences punishable under the High Treason (Punishment) Act, 1973 (LXVIII of 1973)
15) Offences punishable under the Prevention of Anti-National Activities Act, 1974 (VII of
1974)
16) Offences punishable under the Banks (Nationalization) Act, 1974 (XIX of 1974)
17) Offences punishable under the Passport Act, 1974 (XX of 1974)
18) Offences punishable under the Drugs Act, 1976 (XXXI of 1976)
19) Offences punishable under Emigration Ordinance, 1979 (XVIII of 1979)
20) Offences punishable under the Exit from Pakistan (Control) Ordinance, 1981(XLVI of
1981)
c[21] Offences punishable under the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997(XXVII of 1997) to the extent
of dealing with cases which: -
(a) have Inter-provincial scope, or
(b) are entrusted to the Agency by the Federal Government
d[22] Offences punishable under the Prevention & Control of Human Trafficking Ordinance
2002. e[23] Offences punishable under the Pakistan Telecommunication (Re-
organization) Act,
1996 (XVII of 1996)
f[24] Offences punishable under the National Database and Registration Authority Ordinance, 2002.
h[25] Offences punishable under Section 36 & 37 of the Electronic Transmission Ordinance, 2002 (L1 of 2002)
l[26] Offences punishable under the Copyright Ordinance, 1962 (XXXIV of 1962)
Authority:
a. SRO (1)/98 dated 10-04-1998
b. SRO (1)/2002 dated 16-02-2002
c. SRO 157 (1)/2002 dated 18-3-2003
d. 741 (1)/2002 dated 24-10-2002
e. SRO 853(1)/2002 dated 28-11-2002
f. SRO 549(1)/2003 dated 11-6-2003
g. Gazette Notification SRO No.977 (I) /2003 dated 8 October 2003.
h. Gazette Notification SRO No. 1050 (1) / 2003 dated 15.11.2003
i. Omitted Vide notification No. 4/34/2002-Estt (FIA) dated 16.8.2004
j. Inserted vide notification SRO 704 (1)/ 2004 dated 18.8.2004.
k. Inserted vide notification SRO 321(1)/ 2005 dated 16.4.2005