ISLAMABAD: Minister for Interior, Rehman Malik on Friday said the Integrated Border Management System (IBMS) is an important achievement which would be helpful in keeping record of travellers and tracking down criminals.
The system has been installed at Benazir International Airport Islamabad and would be extended to other major cities of the country in phases, he said while inaugurating the newly developed system here which has been developed indigenously by National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA).
"Our data was compromised because Pakistan was using software of other country, but now I am satisfied that the NADRA which was given the task, has developed the IBMS successfully," he said.
Rehman Malik said it was the same organisation which also introduced Machine Readable Passport (MRP) and Computerized National Identity Card (CNIC) and now it has again done a remarkable job.
Enumerating the advantages of the IBMS, he said, it would identify links between members of suspected groups and organizations. "We have tracked down a number of terrorists and at the same time their travelling was also tracked.
He said the new system would trace identify and keep record of Pakistani citizens going abroad on fake documents and staying abroad illegally and availability of complete local database in the offices of concerned DPOs, Special Branches, Ministry of Interior, embarkation/disembarkation ports with a facility to generate required management reports/queries.
It would also help on-line data entry at ports to devise a fool-proof mechanism for registration of the foreigners and subsequent tracking of foreigners through a computerized system till the foreigner leaves the country or is declared an illegal immigrant after expiry of visa.
He said links will be provided (read only) to all those stakeholders who come into contact with foreigners i.e. Hotels, Banks, Property Dealers etc. and rapid search of all relevant information and activities specific to a particular stakeholder.
He recalled that in 2002 the United States provided a border-monitoring system called Personal Identification, Secure Comparison and Evaluation System (PISCES) and but now Pakistan has replaced the system with IBMS which is more capable and secure.
Meanwhile, talking to mediapersons, he said salary enhancement issue of FIA employees would be resolved soon.
The Minister said he has directed his Ministry to remove Watch List and revise the Exit Control List (ECL). The Ministry has also been directed to prior inform those whose name is included in the ECL.
Director General, Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Tehseen Anwar Shah said this is a milestone occasion and appreciated NADRA for developing the software successfully.
In a briefing, Project Director of IBMS, Ch. Manzoor Hussain said the IBMS is aimed to document the entire process of foreigners visiting Pakistan.
He said this would start from Visa Issuance and include entry into Pakistan, movement within Pakistan and departure from Pakistan.
About statistics of IBMS/PISCES for a period from Jan 2002 till September 15, 2011, he said data of 65 million travellers has been collected.
Secretary Interior, Khawaja Sadiq Akbar, Chairman NADRA, Ali Arshad, Director General Immigration, Deputy Chairman NADRA, Tariq Malik and senior officials of FIA and other concerned departments were also present on the occasion.
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