ISLAMABAD - The federal government yesterday decided to cancel passports, block national identity cards and withdrew state facilities including driving licenses, issuance of mobile phone SIMs and permission to operate bank accounts of the activists of proscribed organizations placed under the 4th schedule and human traffickers.
The decision was taken at a meeting held under the chair of Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan.
Under the decision, the travelling of documents of members of banned organization placed under the Watch List (4th Schedule) of the federal government and human smugglers would be cancelled to restrict their movement. They would not neither be allowed to open as well as operate bank accounts not they would get issued mobile SIMs in their names.
A senior federal government official told The Nation that the decision had been taken in the light of the recommendations of National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) given few days ago. The Ministry of Interior is in the process of reviewing the list of its 4th Schedule as a number of activists of proscribe organizations had been included in it and some have been excluded on the recommendations of the provinces, he said. "The previous list was too old."
With a view to keep a strict check on the activities and movement of members f banned organizations under the National Action Plan (NAP), the government has decided to withdraw state facilities from them, the official said. He said that there was a general complaint that the local police was not fully keeping a close eye on the movement of 4th schedulers and there was need to restrict their movements and activities.
Similarly, the same is being done for those who are declared human traffickers in the list of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). This has been done because Pakistan is facing threat to be downgraded from Tier 2 Trafficking in Persons Watch List of US State Department to Tier 3 because of increasing cases of human tracking in the country, the official said.
The federal government has placed the members or activists of banned organization in the 4th Schedule, a watch list and police are bound to keep a close watch on their activities under the law and vice versa.
During the meeting, host of other issues were discussed including various measures being taken against the members of proscribed organizations, human traffickers as well as proclaimed offenders, the progress made so far by FIA in mega corruption cases and efforts being made by ICT (Islamabad Capital Territory) administration as well as police towards improving law and order in the capital. Security of media houses, schools, commercial markets and steps taken for community policing also came under discussion.
Discussing the law and order situation in the federal capital, senior police officials briefed the meeting about various measures taken so far for ensuring security of schools and media houses.
The chair directed the IG Police to carry out performance audit of various police stations so that those officials who were putting in extra effort could be identified and their hard work could be duly acknowledged and appreciated.
About the Safe City Project, the meeting was informed that safe city project, presently in its test phase, has been rendering huge help to the ICT police in curbing and controlling crime rate in federal capital and has been instrumental in tracing out various criminal cases.
Deputy Commissioner Islamabad briefed the interior minister about the progress in campaigns against agent mafia outside government offices and elements involved in adulteration and sale of substandard food. He also informed about the progress in audit of private security agencies and the notices issued to them advising them to provide their particular and other details to the administration.
The meeting decided that the licenses of all those security companies, which would not provide their particulars to the administration, would be cancelled.
Deputy Commissioner also briefed the minister about progress of school's committee that was constituted to work out a solution for shifting of schools from the residential areas.
FIA officers while briefing the meeting about the progress made so far against human smugglers informed that in the ongoing campaign against human smugglers, 1011 arrest had been made so far that include 290 proclaimed offenders, 17 most wanted traffickers, 84 court absconders and 620 general arrests.