President Asif Ali Zardari

KARACHI: President Asif Ali Zardari has constituted a national security committee comprising heads of all the security and secret agencies to review and tackle the security concerns arising in the wake of ongoing military operations in restive valley of Swat and adjoining districts.
A decision to this effect was taken at a high-level meeting at chief minister house on Wednesday. The meting was attended by Governor Sindh, DR Ishrat-ul-Ebad, Chief Minister, Syed Qaim Ali Shah, Interior Minister, Rehman Malik, Information Minister, Qamar-uz-Zaman Kaira, director general rangers, IG Sindh, CCPO Karachi and all the regional police officers.
Briefing the newsmen about details of the meeting, the information minister said that the first meeting of the newly formed national security committee would be held soon.
He said the committee would also recommend reforms to improve the conditions in jails throughout the country.
Security heads gave separate briefings to President Zardari about law and order situation in Karachi, especial in connection with the two recent strikes called by nationalist parties and supported by Muttehida Quami Movement (MQM) against arrival of displaced persons of Swat in Karachi.
The president directed all the provincial governments to immediately recruit 25,000 new police personnel each, besides approving 10,00 fresh recruitments in Sindh Constabulary.
The newly recruited police personnel will be bound to get commando training, Kaira informed. He said the meeting observed that law and order situation in Sindh was better as compared to previous years, however it could not be declared ideal.
“ President has issued directives to the law enforcing agencies to take more concerted efforts to improve law and order in the province. He also issued directives for increase in the salaries of police personnel and equip them with commando training and latest weaponry”, Kaira said.
The meeting, Kaira said, decided to set up new women police stations in all the three zones in Karachi.
About law and order situation in interior of Sindh, especially growing incidents of kidnap for ransom, the minister said that the meeting had decided to take stern action against dacoits in the interior districts.
For that, he said, the police personnel would be equipped with latest weaponry and equipment.
He said the President wanted equal and high salaries not for police personnel but other law enforcing troops throughout the country.
The meeting decided that the current local bodies system would not be scrapped. Instead, adequate amendments will be made in the local bodies system in consultation with all the provinces, Kaira said.
Responding to various queries about Swat operation, the information minister claimed that Taliban had been dispersed due to army actions, which have caused “a very few” civilian casualties.
Regarding deaths of militants, Kaira said it was hard to tell the exact number of militants’ causalities because they had taken positioned in bunkers and tunnels.
About Maulana Fazlullah, he said the militants’ leader had been out of screens for last eight days, but it could not be confirmed that he was dead.
“ Taliban are on the run as their command and control system has been badly damaged by the army”, Kaira observed adding that the ongoing military operation will be extended to other areas if required because terrorist are operating not only from tribal belt but also in other parts of the country.
“ The government had no other option after collapse of peace talks. Military operation has been launched as the last option”, he maintained.
Now, the operation will continue till the elimination of militants from the area, he said.
To a question, the minister said if Taliban were running under the guise of displaced persons, then it was the joint responsibility of the government forces and the people to keep an eye and point them out.
The minister said the government had directed national database registration authority (NADRA) to increase registration centers for displaced persons.
“ Registration is a must because if we do not have the record of displaced persons, then how can we facilitate them now and in future”, he said. The minister made it clear that neither there was any ban on the entry of displaced persons in any province nor were they prevented by any provincial government. “ Most of the displaced persons are staying in NWFP, either in camps or with their relatives”, he maintained.
He said that 80 per cent of displaced persons had been residing with their relatives, mostly in NWFP.
End.