Senate Committee Questions FIA Over Illegal Call Center Crackdown

A meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on IT and Telecom, chaired by Palwasha Khan, turned contentious as lawmakers questioned the credibility and internal conduct of the Federal Investigation Agency during a briefing on illegal call center operations.

FIA officials informed the committee that 13 individuals have been booked in multiple FIRs in connection with illegal call centers, adding that these suspects allegedly extorted money from various call center operators. The briefing revealed that recoveries amounting to hundreds of thousands of rupees were made from a sub-inspector, indicating alleged internal collusion. Officials also disclosed that 271 FIA personnel have faced internal punishments this year, a figure presented as evidence of ongoing accountability measures within the agency.

The discussion expanded beyond enforcement to allegations of misconduct by officers of the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency, with committee members raising concerns over raids on call centers and claims that some cases were settled through collusion rather than due legal process. These assertions prompted sharp criticism from lawmakers.

Senator Pervez Rashid questioned the agency’s overall effectiveness, stating that the FIA’s performance itself had become questionable. He added that Pakistan faces international scrutiny over the presence of call centers, suggesting the issue has reputational implications beyond domestic enforcement. The committee chairperson echoed these concerns, remarking that the FIA as an institution has lost credibility.

During the session, Senator Saadia Abbasi challenged the narrative surrounding the sector, asking whether call centers are illegal by default in Pakistan. In response, officials from the Ministry of IT clarified that the perception of all call centers being illegal is incorrect.

Ministry representatives told the committee that the Pakistan Software Export Board maintains official lists of call centers and that thousands of call centers are registered and operating legally across the country. They emphasized that enforcement actions are meant to target unregistered and criminal operations, not the broader IT and services sector.

The meeting concluded without a formal resolution, but lawmakers signaled that oversight of both illegal call centers and FIA conduct would continue, particularly in light of allegations of internal corruption and inconsistent enforcement practices.