ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Rehman Malik has said a summary has been forwarded to the prime minister to grant police access to mobile phone data, adding that equipment would be provided to the police force to find the locations of criminal elements.

Malik was talking to mediapersons after chairing a high-level meeting that reviewed the overall security situation in the country here on Tuesday. He told reporters the police force across the country would be provided equipment to record the mobile phones of criminals, and a central crime database centre would be set up in Islamabad.

Malik asked PML-N president Nawaz Sharif to become a party in the Mehran Bank scandal as he had done in the case of the Memogate scam, adding that he would be provided all available records for his help.

Malik said that a commission should also be formed to investigate instructions given by former prime minister Mian Nawaz Sharif and former chairman of Ehtesab Bureau Saifur Rehman to Justice (retd) Qayyum that Asif Ali Zardari be awarded maximum punishment. He said if a memo commission can be formed, then a similar commission may also be formed to investigate the Mehran Bank case.

He announced launching a countrywide crackdown against foreigners staying illegally in Pakistan, adding that foreigners involved in illegal activities would be arrested and others deported. He said security threats were received in connection with the joint session of parliament beginning on March 17 and a special security plan had been prepared to keep a strict vigil on Islamabad’s borders.

To a question, Malik said the government seriously wanted to arrest Pervez Musharraf and his arrest would become a reality when a red warrant was issued. He also vowed to arrest the murderers of the wife and daughter of Mir Bakhtiar Domki.

Malik said the offer of talks with Taliban still stands but they should first lay down their arms. He said the offer had been welcomed by ulema and the government was sincere in bringing these elements into the national mainstream.

Shakeel Anjum adds: The government has decided to establish an Anti Terrorism Division in each province to combat terrorism there.

This was decided at a high level meeting held at the Ministry of Interior with Interior Minister, Rehman Malik, in the chair on Tuesday. According to interior ministry sources, Inspector Generals of Police (IGPs) of all provinces briefed the meeting about the present law and order situation. The IGPs also briefed the meeting about problems being faced by them in the absence of modern age technology.

It was decided at the meeting that a summary would be forwarded to the prime minister to provide the facility of geolocators and other technological equipment to the provinces to curb terrorist activities, kidnappings for ransom and mobile/vehicle snatching.

The meeting was told that the list of proscribed organisations was going to be revisited to explore the possibility of bringing them into the mainstream. The meeting also decided to increase the strength of the police in all provinces, and initially recruit 3,000 policemen in each province.

The meeting was told a draft bill for the control of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) had been circulated among all the IGPs, who are to give their input within two weeks, after which the bill would be legislated.

The meeting decided that any foreigner, irrespective of the importance of his country, if found without a visa would be deported immediately to his country. The meeting was told that on the recommendations of the IGPs, a committee comprising police professionals and army officers was being formed in the Ministry of Interior which will be responsible for the technical evaluation of weapons, ammunition, bullet proof jackets and other security gadgets before their procurement for police and other law enforcement agencies.

The meeting also agreed that special branches of various provinces should share the daily situation report (crime related) with each other. It was told that National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) was being tasked to create an online network between provinces and the National Crisis Management Cell (NCMC) to create central crime data at NCMC.

The meeting also decided that police stations all over the country would be treated as a unit for drawing and disbursement of funds for to meet their day-to-day administrative requirements. It was noted in the meeting that only 1% women were recruited in police. The interior minister emphasised the need for enlistment and recruitment of women in the police as per the 20% quota reserved for them. All IGPs assured the interior minister that they would take up the matter with provincial governments.

The minister also emphasised the need for temporary police, male and female, in line with the model of Islamabad police, which had been found to be very useful.

The meeting was told that a national level police seminar would be held soon under the umbrella of the Ministry of Interior to find ways and means for the improvement of the police system in the country on modern lines.