Foreign funding case would be Panama 2, predicts Sh Rashid

KARACHI – Federal Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad said Thursday that the government wanted to make the whole Karachi a ‘Safe City’ by installing CCTV cameras and hoped that the Sindh government would provide funds for it to resolve the issue of security permanently as the provincial government had funds.

He stated this on the occasion of his visit to the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA)’s Mega Centre. Sheikh Rashid said that the Rangers had also a history like Pakistan Army and it was performing well in the city. He said that Rangers had ensured peace in the metropolis.

He announced on the occasion that 100,000 people would be issued new Computerized National Identity Card (CNIC) free of charge on a daily basis. He further said that all Tehsils headquarters would have NADRA Centres in order to facilitate the people. The Interior Minister said that the Sindh had total 62 NADRA Centres, 16 mobile vehicles and it would had three more NADRA Centres. He further said that these three NADRA Centres were being established for 24 hours.

He said, moreover, they were trying to bring 300 NADRA vehicles on roads as the people could get the CNIC at their doorsteps.  He said that only Pakistanis would be issued CNICs and category of Afghanis had been changed and put on another side of the list.

Sheikh Rashid said that on the directives of the Prime Minister, a summary had also been sent to the Finance Department for increasing the tenure of passports duration from five years to ten years to facilitate the people. He further said that they were also going to introduce e-passports to meet the international standards. The Minister said that facilities at airports would also be increased.

Replying to a question, he said that foreign funding case would become important and would be Panama-2.

Answering another question regarding NAB probe against Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, he said that NAB did not come under his jurisdiction.

Replying to a question about the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), he said that first time on the special directives of the Prime Minister the opposition was allowed to protest in the red zone and they also cooperated with the government.

He said that Maulana Fazalur Rehman would be the PDM leader who would be more in loss. He further said that if Maulana had invited him in the protest against Israel he would have come to participant in it.

About MQM-Pakistan, he said that he had good relations with MQM-Pakistan and would visit them next time.

Interior Minister calls on Sindh Governor

Meanwhile, Minister of Interior Sheikh Rashid Ahmad on Thursday called on Sindh Governor Imran Ismail at Sindh Governor House. They discussed overall law and order situation in Sindh province especially in the metropolis and other issues of mutual interests, according to a Governor House statement. Governor Imran Ismail on the occasion said that lights of the city had restored because of the better law and order situation.

Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid said that Pakistan Army had an important role in maintaining law and order situation in the country.