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Development funds being used to improve security: Rehman Malik

* Govt launches comprehensive plan for electronic monitoring of major cities
* Names of missing citizens to be published in all leading newspapers

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: The government is using development funds for the capacity building of law-enforcement agencies in a bid to improve security, Interior Minister Rehman Malik said on Tuesday.

Responding to points of order in the National Assembly, Malik said the government was trying to build the capacity of law-enforcement agencies at the cost of development projects. He said security agencies of the country were performing well despite a lack of resources.

MNAs Nausheen Saeed, Omar Sohail Butt, Noor Alam, Amir Muqam and Advocate Pervez had drawn the attention of the House towards the law and order situation and the “insufficient security” at airports and in major cities.

Electronic monitoring: Malik told the House that the government had formed a comprehensive plan to electronically monitor major cities, motorways and highways, and a project to install closed-circuit television cameras in major cities had already been launched.

The minister said scanners would gradually be installed on main roads and streets in major cities. He said the scanners were being acquired from China under an agreement, and the first consignment would be delivered by the 15th of this month.

The minister also asked the official presiding over proceedings to arrange an in-camera meeting of the House, where he could brief members on security arrangements.

Missing persons: Presiding over a meeting to review the law and order situation and the progress made in tracing missing citizens, Malik directed the authorities to advertise the names of missing persons through the country’s leading newspapers.

“Advertisements should be published in Punjabi, Sindhi, Pushto and Baloch languages, in addition to Urdu,” he said.

He also directed that rewards be handed out to people providing information about missing individuals. He sought case-by-case details of missing persons from provincial administrations. It was noted that in the majority of cases, “basic particulars” were not available.

The minister said efforts should be coordinated with the Foreign Office to determine if those considered missing had gone abroad.

The IG and home secretaries of all the four provinces attended the meeting, in addition to Interior Ministry officials.

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