ISLAMABAD - Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has said the government wants to make the next round of talks with Taliban meaningful and result-oriented.
Addressing a news conference in Islamabad on Friday afternoon, the interior minister said a progress towards next round of direct talks is expected to be made in a few days.
The minister said the government cannot be blamed for the delay as it was decided during the last two rounds that Taliban would convey date and venue of the next round, but they did not do so. “Next meeting would decide the future of noncombatants, foreigners and unarmed prisoners,” he added.
The interior minister questioned how national identity card could be issued to MQM leader Altaf Hussain without uploading the data on Nadra system. “Altaf didn’t submit the form to Nadra within 30 days and now the form is being shown to the media,” he said.
Ch Nisar said deviating from the normal procedure, Nadra officials were summoned to the residence of Altaf Hussain in London, but the registration form has not so far been submitted. “During one year, 107 persons were denied issuance of CNICs as they didn’t submit their forms. Now Altaf’s case is 108th,” he said and added transfer of 13 officials of Nadra from London to Pakistan was a routine matter on the completion of their tenure.
The minister said the government had no objection to issuance of national identity card to Altaf Hussain; rather it wanted to facilitate the process. He offered Altaf Hussain to send a Nadra team again to his house to process his card.  Ch Nisar regretted that issuance of national identity card to MQM leader Altaf Hussain was unnecessarily being agitated. About the targeted operation in Karachi, he said it would enter a meaningful and effective phase. Replying to another question, he said there were five Pakistani nationals in Guantanamo Bay and the government was trying to bring them back.
While replying to another question, the interior minister said US Deputy Secretary of State William Burns didn’t emphasise to start any operation in North Waziristan, adding no operation would be launched on the suggestion of any foreign country. He denied the media reports of a drone attack on Pakistan. He clarified that there was no drone attack during the last five months within the country.  Chaudhry Nisar said a new system of security was being introduced in Islamabad from next week. Under the new arrangement, police and rangers would ensure patrolling round-the-clock to check street crimes and other criminal activities.