Salman Chaudhary tipped to lead FIA as new director-general

ISLAMABAD: Ministry of Interior Additional Secretary Salman Chaudhry has emerged as the frontrunner candidate for the post of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) director-general.

Earlier, the federal government removed Ahmed Ishaq Jahangir as the FIA director-general over his “poor performance” and failure to curb human trafficking — a grave issue facing Pakistan.

Sources said that Chaudhry is widely seen as the frontrunner with almost all stakeholders agreeing on his suitability for the new role at the helm of the country’s premier investigative agency.

Chaudhry, who previously served as the Motorway Police inspector-general, recently travelled to Morocco with a four-member team to investigate the boat accident that left several Pakistanis dead.

According to sources, Chaudhry presented the boat accident report to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who “commended him for his investigation”.

Earlier, FIA Additional Director-General Jan Muhammad was given the additional charge of DG FIA to head the investigative agency until the appointment of a permanent chief.

Earlier, several senior police officers were being considered for the position of FIA chief. According to sources, Inspector General of the Punjab Police Usman Anwar, Secretary of Human Rights Allah Dino Khawaja (also known as A.D. Khawaja), Additional Inspector General of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police Mohammad Ali Babakhel, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Interior Salman Chaudhry, and Inspector General of Motorways Raja Riffat Mukhtar were all strong contenders for the crucial role.

Sources also indicate that Chaudhry’s approval for the new DG FIA will be sought from the federal cabinet. The Ministry of Interior plays a crucial role in nominating and recommending a candidate for the position of DG FIA.

As per the procedure, the interior minister in consultation with senior officials usually suggests a list of eligible candidates and initiates the process, the final decision on the appointment rests with the prime minister, who picks the candidate after consulting the president. In some cases, the cabinet may also be required to formally approve the appointment, depending on the government’s internal procedures and the significance of the position at the time.