KARACHI: Minister for Interior Rehman Malik on Sunday said no foreign hand was involved in terrorist activities in Pakistan as all the suspects arrested for involvement in these acts were Pakistani nationals.
“We should put our own house in order before blaming any other country, including India,” the minister said while talking to media persons at the Karachi Airport. “Terrorists cannot carry out any activity without local help,” he said. The minister said “traitors of the country” should be eliminated.

He said the government had controlled the incidents of target killings in Karachi.

He said the banned Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LJ) and the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) were jointly carrying out terrorist activities in the country.

He said that a probe into the Crime Investigation Department (CID) building bombing was underway and nobody could be blamed for it till completion of the investigation report.

To a question about the MQM-PPP relations, Rehman Malik said both the parties were one on empowering the middle class and elimination of corruption from the country.

“Altaf Bhai is right when he asks for a revolution because corruption should end and the middle class should be empowered. We are also against corruption at every tier. Altaf Bhai has offered his party’s all out support to eliminate corruption from the country,” he said.

The minister ruled out takeover of Karachi by the Army, saying that everybody can make demands, but the government itself will handle the situation properly.

He also expressed concern over the treatment meted out to Pakistanis in other countries. “The clothes of Pakistanis are being taken off in foreign countries,” he lamented. “I want to stop this practice.”

Rehman Malik said there should be no corruption in the country. He said he would vigorously pursue the anti-corruption campaign in the government departments.

Meanwhile, Rehman Malik chaired a high-level meeting at the NCMC Karachi to review the matters of illegal human trafficking, smuggling, anti-corruption drive, etc.

The minister took a strong notice of illegal deportation of 106 Pakistanis at the Taftan checkpost. Out of these deportees, 54 were from the Punjab while 52 belonged to Balochistan. The minister ordered the DG FIA to ensure arrest of all fake agents who facilitated this illegal human trafficking.

He directed Director FIA Balochistan to visit the border post himself and keep a vigilant eye on the smuggling of sugar, raw sugar and other commodities to Afghanistan. He also directed to check the illegal entry of Afghans from border areas and keep a close liaison with the Chaman border police to re-install the biometric system as agreed between the Pakistan and Afghanistan governments.

The minister ordered suspension of FIA shift in-charge at the Islamabad airport on the complaint of two passengers, Zeeshan and Khalid, on alleged demand of Rs20,000. He directed DG FIA to initiate a criminal inquiry against the FIA officials and registration of a case if they were found guilty.

He ordered zero tolerance regarding illegal immigration or illegal human trafficking and misbehaviour by immigration staff at all airports. He also directed to display his own mobile number 0321-2033383 and mobile number of DG FIA 0300-9274528 and email address mirmazharjabbar@gmail.com at all entry and exit points of all airports.

He directed DG FIA to constitute a task force, which will make spot-checking and interview the passengers to check implementation of directives.

The minister also thoroughly discussed the ongoing anti-corruption drive in the country. The progress of roadmap regarding the anti-corruption strategy was reviewed. The DG FIA said that FIA had received a lot of complaints and departmental inquiries, which will be reviewed and investigated by FIA. The DG FIA will brief Rehman Malik regarding these inquiries on November 27 in Islamabad.

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