Malik orders strict check on foreigners

QUETTA - Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik has said that foreign elements are conspiring and supporting terrorist organisations to destabilise Pakistan. He expressed these views at the Quetta airport and a news conference at the Chief Minister Secretariat here on Saturday. We have sealed the borders along Afghanistan in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and there will be complete restriction on the movement of Afghans because they are behind most of the terror attacks, he added. Terrorist groups have been activated in Balochistan and KP, he said. To a question whether key al-Qaeda and Taliban operatives exist in Quetta, he said they had declared Pakistan as their enemy after the death of bin Laden. Referring to the recent suicide attacks on DIG Frontier Corps Farrukh Shehzad, Malik said: The Afghan refugees were given shelter here but now they have started terror activities in Pakistan. Afghanistan is our brotherly country but it does not mean her nationals should be allowed to take part in criminal activities. There will be complete restriction on the movement of Afghan refugees in Balochistan and KP. He said Army, Frontier Corps, police and Balochistan Levies had been asked to put a check on the free movement of Afghan refugees and other foreigners. He said they had given the deadline of one month to the illegal immigrants to get refugee cards otherwise they would be arrested, adding Pakistan had also stopped issuing visit visas to the Afghans. The minister informed that Nadra had so far canceled 90,000 ID cards and scrutiny of others cards is underway. We have revived some check posts while some others will be restored by September 25. All the entry and exit points in Quetta are also being sealed for preventing the entry of terrorists, he added. Malik said there was a grand plan to destabilise the country in order to declare it a 'failed State but the credit goes to Army and security forces whose brave officials were engaged in foiling such attempts. He said: This plot still exists and I appeal to all political parties, including PPP, MQM, and other stakeholders, to bury their differences and join hands to frustrate this conspiracy. He rejected the allegations that any one-sided action was being taken in Karachi. I state on oath that I have directed the police and Rangers to go the areas wherever they want to carry out search operation without any discrimination. He claimed the crime ration in Karachi had gone down to zero, adding over 450 criminals were arrested from Karachi during recent operations. He had also produced 42 videos before the Cabinet wherein people were brutally tortured and killed by the criminals, he said. Tears oozed out of my eyes as I watched the horror scenes, he remarked. Referring to Balochistan, the minister claimed law and order situation here was better than other provinces since Bramdagh Bugti had been driven out of Kabul where he was commanding the militants from. He said those who had climbed up mountains to secure their rights should put down their arms, salute the national flag and raise the slogan of long live Pakistan. They would be welcomed then, he said. He refused to comment on Lashkari Raisanis statements that he had sabotaged the negotiations and reconciliation process in Balochistan. Senator Lashkari Raisani is my brother. I have never talked against Balochistan and its people and my speeches had never been provocative, he remarked. About the allegations against Frontier Corps (FC), Malik said those who talked against them were enemies of Pakistan because the FC personnel were rendering sacrifices for the sake of their country. There were only 44 persons missing from the province and efforts were underway to trace them, he said, adding earlier the people had claimed that 133 women and 6,000 Baloch went missing but there was no truth in this statement. Meanwhile, Rehman Malik chaired a high-level meeting here on Saturday on the law and order situation in the wake of terror strikes on Hazara Eidgah and DIG Frontier Corps in Quetta. The meeting was attended by the Balochistan chief secretary, home secretary, IG Police, IG Frontier Corps, Nadra general manager and others. Malik visited the blast site and Combined Military Hospital, and inquired after the health of the blast victims.

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