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Senate Committee Slams FIA Over Money Extortion Allegations, Demands Urgent Inquiry Report

Allegations of massive extortion within Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) dominated the Senate Standing Committee on Interior on Tuesday, raising urgent questions about accountability. Senators claimed FIA officials demanded Rs 10 crore from the wife of a YouTuber (Ducky Bhai), exposing a pattern of corruption and misconduct that has shaken public trust. The controversy intensified scrutiny on the agency’s growing backlog of cases and its handling of high-profile investigations.

The committee, chaired by Senator Shahadat Awan at Parliament House, questioned FIA officials amid a surge in public complaints and allegations of corruption. Interior Minister Talal Chaudhry and DG FIA (NCCIA) attended the session to brief members on ongoing actions and developments.

The DG FIA updated senators on follow-ups from the November 6 meeting, including arrests linked to the fraud case involving Senator Falak Naz Chitrali. Despite these actions, senators expressed alarm at the “unprecedented” rise in pending NCCIA cases.

Senators Reveal Extortion of Rs 10 Crore

Senator Palwasha Muhammad Zai Khan delivered the session’s most startling disclosure.

She revealed that one colleague had been approached for money “in the name of Mehdi Shah” and highlighted that the Rs 10 crore demand from a YouTuber’s brother’s wife revealed the broader scale of corruption within the FIA.

Senator Saifullah Abro raised similar concerns, claiming that certain FIA officials had acquired assets worth billions of rupees in just a year.

Members suggested forming a subcommittee to identify those involved, but Chairman Awan rejected the proposal. He instead directed that the investigation report on the implicated FIA officials be completed urgently and submitted to the Committee.

Previous Case Against NCCIA Officials

The allegations raised in the Senate follow a major case recently registered by the Federal Investigation Agency’s Anti-Corruption Circle in Lahore. According to FIR No. 36/2025, filed on October 27, 2025, nine officials from the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency were booked for allegedly misusing their authority and extorting large sums from the family of YouTuber Ducky Bhai.

The FIR, filed after inquiry No. 219/2025, outlines claims made by Aroob Jatoi, wife of Saad ur Rehman, who said NCCIA officers demanded money to offer relief in her husband’s case. The inquiry exposed significant corruption within NCCIA Lahore and triggered the broader investigation now under scrutiny.