FIA set to fast track money laundering probes

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) is set to fast-track money laundering probes under a new rulebook that fixes deadlines for inquiries and creates dedicated desks nationwide.

FIA Director General Dr Usman Anwar has approved standard operating procedures (SOPs) to improve how the agency handles financial intelligence reports, an informed source told Dawn on Thursday.

Financial intelligence refers to tips on suspicious transactions from banks and other institutions.

The reports come from the Financial Monitoring Unit (FMU) — the country’s central agency responsible for receiving, analysing and disseminating to the investigatory and supervisory authorities; disclosures of financial information concerning suspected proceeds of crime and alleged money laundering offences; and the financing of any activities or transactions related to terrorism, playing a decisive role in the detection and investigation of financial crimes.

The move comes as Pakistan works to stay off the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) “grey list,” which tracks countries with weak anti-money laundering systems.

Pakistan was removed from the list in 2022 after four years of reforms to its anti-money laundering and counter-terror financing regime. Staying off the list remains a policy priority, with the government keen to improve its international financial standing.

The new SOPs set timelines to address delays and seek to tighten coordination between the agency and the FMU — the country’s financial intelligence body — as Pakistan looks to consolidate gains made since its removal from the FATF “grey list”.

Under the revised framework, a Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) has been set up within the Anti-Money Laundering Directorate at the FIA headquarters in Islamabad. The unit will be tasked with receiving financial intelligence reports and strategic analysis reports from the FMU, assigning cases, monitoring progress and issuing directions for inquiries and investigations.

Moreover, the Financial Intelligence Desks, each headed by an officer not below the rank of assistant director, will be established in all FIA zones to ensure effective coordination and timely processing.

The new rules introduced a streamlined mechanism for dealing with financial intelligence, including initiation of inquiries, mandatory parallel financial investigations upon detection of proceeds of crime, and defined timelines for completion. Enhanced monitoring, structured reporting and strict protocols for inter-zone case transfers have also been laid down.

A senior FIA official said the move is aimed at addressing procedural delays that have hampered the agency’s prosecution record.

The FIA registered 1,247 money laundering cases in 2025, but conviction rates remained low, data showed.

“The SOPs institutionalise timelines and central oversight. If we identify criminal proceeds, a parallel financial probe will begin at once,” the official said.