Senate panel slams cross-border terrorist attacks on Pakistan

The Senate Standing Committee on Interior and Narcotics Control on Tuesday condemned the cross-border terrorist attacks on Pakistan. The committee met with Senator Abdul Rehman Malik in the chair and unanimously passed two resolutions condemning the recent wave of terrorism in the country and criminal support of Afghanistan for allowing a terrorist organisation to operate from its soil against Pakistan.
The resolution passed by the committee said: "We strongly condemn the criminal support of Afghanistan allowing the terrorist of Jamaat-ul-Ahrar to operate from its soil against Pakistan. We call upon the government to raise this matter in the UN, asking the Afghan government to eliminate these anti-Pakistan terrorist camps from its soil. The committee fully endorses the recent surgical strike against Jamaat-ul-Ahrar by Pakistan army."
It further says, "We also propose that both Pakistan and Afghanistan should work together to eliminate terrorism from this region and Afghanistan should honour the agreement of common border control management already signed between the two countries."
Another resolution passed by the committee strongly condemned the recent wave of terrorist attacks across the country, including Lahore and Sehwen Sharif blasts, attack on TV cameraman in Karachi, attacks on FC and police personnel in Balochistan and KPK, and terror incidents in Parachinar, Buner, Bajur Agency, Mohmand Agency, Chaman and South Waziristan Agency. The committee called upon the government to ensure the arrest of the terrorists involved in these acts of terrorism and bring them to justice.
The committee offered Fateha for victims of recent terrorist attacks and prayed for early recovery of those who got injured in such incidents. The committee also expressed heartfelt condolences and sympathies with the bereaved families. Malik said that Afghan government instead of opposing the Pakistan army's surgical strikes along Pak-Afghan border to target terrorists involved in terrorism in Pakistan should support it, as terrorists are the common enemies of both the countries.
Director General (DG) Immigration and Passport (I&P), Usman Akhtar Bajwa while briefing the committee about the details of number of visas issued to foreign nationals, including nationals of USA, UK, India, Bangladesh, Middle East countries and China, said that no central database is available with Ministry of Interior about the number of visas issued to foreigners.
He added that Ministry of Interior and National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) are working jointly over a project aimed to develop an online visa information system. Bajwa said that Ministry of Interior has delegated the authority of issuance of visas to foreigners to Pakistan's foreign missions. The applicants apply for visa in foreign mission and they issue visa to them according to set rules and regulations, he said, adding that I&P directorate only deals with the visa extension issues.
Additional Secretary Ministry of Interior, Aurangzeb Haque also told the committee that Ministry of Interior does not have consolidated data or computerised system about number of visas issued to foreigners; however, data is available in scattered form with different units. He said that I&P directorate only dealt with mechanical part of visa after the approval.
Another senior official of Ministry of Interior said the ministry has directed foreign missions to inform the ministry about the number of visas issued to foreigners on quarterly basis. "We have sent an email to our missions and some of them have replied in this regard," she said.
She further said, "We have Integrated Border Management System (IBMS) through which FIA monitors entry and exit of foreigners. Ministry of Interior is planning to include a provision in IBMS system, which will enable the system to flash the names of those foreigners whose visa has been expired and they have not left the country".
Malik directed the Ministry of Interior to establish a centralised database regarding number of visas issued to foreigners and number of foreigners who left the country. "All over the world the number of visas issued to foreigners is available in consolidated form but unfortunately our country has not developed such a system so far, which is the need of the hour."
The committee also considered different public petitions against National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra). The committee expressed annoyance over delay in unblocking of blocked CNICs and asked Nadra to devise a mechanism on immediate basis for unblocking CNICs of Pakistani nationals.
Malik said that the working of Nadra is not satisfactory and he asked chairman Nadra to chalk out an effective system to address the difficulties faced by the people in the country and abroad. He also directed chairman Nadra to investigate the harassment issue of Syeda Shaheen Bukhari, Deputy Assistant Manager who has complained to the committee that she is being harassed by some officers of the Nadra.
The committee also expressed anger over the Nadra for inking an agreement with Mastercard which was later cancelled by the interior minister. The committee asked Nadra to submit a report during the next meeting, explaining under what circumstances Nadra signed an agreement with MasterCard, who ordered it, why the access to data was given to a foreign body, what the level of access was and what information was shared. After cancellation of the pact, what action has been initiated against those who allowed it, the committee further asked. The meeting was attended by Senators Shahi Syed, Muhammad Javed Abbasi, Jehanzeb Jamaldini, Muhammad Atiq Mian and Sirajul Haq, and senior officials of the Ministry of Interior.