Nisar tasks Nacta with geo-mapping of Karachi, Quetta

Amnesty scheme deadline for aliens having Pakistani CNICs extended by one month

ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Friday directed the National Counter Terrorism Authority (Nacta) to undertake geo-mapping of Karachi and Quetta to counter terror footprints in the two provincial capitals.

He was chairing a high-level security meeting here.Secretary interior, special secretary interior, National Coordinator Nacta, chairman Nadra, DG Immigration and Passport and senior representatives from the FIA and Islamabad Police attended the meeting.

Expressing satisfaction that 334 aliens had voluntarily returned their CNICs, the minister extended the amnesty scheme’s deadline to another one month only for aliens. The scheme was due to expire on August 31.

Meanwhile, the minister’s directions for geo-mapping came at a time when the Federation’s focus is on both Karachi and Quetta to ensure peace there.The minister was told that over 56 million CNICs were verified by Nadra during the ongoing CNIC re-verification drive within a span of two months, achieving re-verification of 60 percent CNICs.

The minister was informed by the chairman Nadra that 80 officials of the authority were also identified who had willfully included aliens in the Pakistani family trees.Nisar appreciated the amount of public cooperation and media’s resounding build-up for the ongoing CNIC re-verification.

He pointed out that financial benefits should also be given to aliens who had voluntarily returned the Pakistani CNICs.The minister also directed Nadra to expedite disciplinary actions against those officials of the authority who were responsible for including aliens in the Nadra’s database.

The minister noted that a decision about all the INGOs would be taken within six months. He remarked that the ministry would bring INGOs in line with the new INGOs registration policy along with a robust monitoring mechanism.

An interior ministry official informed Nisar that they had received 132 applications from the INGOs for registration to operate in Pakistan.It was conveyed that 46 INGOs had been cleared and allowed to work in Pakistan after meeting all the requirements.

The interior minister appreciated the INGOs registration wing observing that until completion of the INGOs registration process, no INGO, which has formally applied for registration under the new policy, would be barred from working in Pakistan.

The interior minister said that E-passport facility should be launched within the next few months and in this context he directed the immigration and passport officials to start a pilot project in Islamabad.

Nisar remarked it was positive to know that since the year 2014, over 2.1 million passports had been issued with 10-year validity time. The 10-year validity passports, he said, were meant to ease the load at the passport offices and limit the trouble of passport seekers.