Federal Mini-ster for Interior Rehman Malik has informed the Senate that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has arrested 14764 foreign illegal immigrants during last three years and they are being tried under Foreigners Act and the Control of Narcotics Substances (CNS) Act 1997.
Out of total 14764 detained foreigners 14584 were male and 180 were female, Malik informed the Upper House of the Parliament in a written reply on Friday. He also informed the House that total 1076 foreign prisoners were detained in prisons round the country out of which 417 were in Sindh, 582 in Punjab, 43 in NWFP and 34 in Balochistan
The FIA took various measures to stop the entry of illegal immigrants, such as introduction of Personal Identification Secure Comparison and Evaluation System (PISCES), Installation of Forgery Detection Machines (FDMs) at airports of Islamabad and Karachi and Interceptions at International border through establishment of Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF), he added.
Minister for Narcotics Control in a written reply informed the House that 334 foreigners were arrested by Anti Narcotics Force (ANF) during last three years while 275 cases were registered out of which 241 foreigners were awarded punishment. He said that 570 kilogram heroin, 42 kilogram Opium and 351 kilogram hashish was recovered during these three years. Information Minister Qamaruz Zaman Kaira in reply to a question informed the House that government was providing 25 percent quota for regional press in advertisements. All the process of advertisements was transparent and released to newspapers and periodicals enlisted in the central media list, he added.
He said factors like circulation, standard, presentation, value, regularity and popularity of a publication was yardstick for releasing the advertisements. The information minister said that if Ministry of Finance provide funds to PTV then the TV License fee would be abolished, but it was not possible at present. He requested the Senate to send the recommendations to the government for abolishing the TV License fee. Kaira in reply to another question informed the House that the government had plan to install 1000 MW booster of PTV at Gwadar, which could provide coverage to Central Asian Republics. The old booster of 100 MW at Gwadar would be removed while booster at Turbat would be upgraded.
There were seven re-broadcasting Stations/Boosters of PTV installed in FATA including Landi Kotal, Parachinar, Razmak, Wana, Kalaya, Mohmand Agency and Bajaur, Kaira said, adding that total 66 persons were working on the re-broadcasting stations.
Minister of State for Interior Tasneem Qureshi informed the House that nine Civil Defence training institutions were operative in different parts of country including Federal CD Academy Lahore, National Institute for Fire Technology Islamabad, Bomb Disposal Unit Lahore and Federal CD Training Schools at Lahore, Faisalabad, Karachi, Peshawar, Quetta and Muzaffarabad. He said that the government had planned to make them more active to train people and educate them about disaster management. He said that Rs 422,538 were spent on training of 46661 Civil Defence volunteers. Qureshi also informed the House that law enforcement agencies had arrested only 12 foreigners from Pak-Afghan border.
Minister for Defence Production Abdul Qayyum Jatoi informed the House that 600 MG3 rifles were not supplied to NWFP police, 330 to Balochistan Police and five to Sindh Police, due to objection raised by the General Headquarters (GHQ) of Pakistan Army that war weapons could not be provided to police. As per order 793 MG3 rifles were supplied to Punjab Rangers and 302 MG3 were supplied to FC NWFP.
Jatoi informed the house that out of 2234 G3 rifles 2206 were supplied to Punjab Police, while 332 G3 rifles to Punjab Rangers, 2600 to Balochistan Police, 50 to Sindh Police and 4093 to FC NWFP. Total 906 MP5 rifles were supplied which includes 61 to Punjab Police, 315 to Punjab Rangers, 500 to Balochistan Police and 30 to Sindh Police.
Replying to a question, Abdul Qayyum said arms were supplied to Sindh Police as per orders for the pubic safety. Senator Haji Ghulam Ali asked the government to fulfil the order of arms by NWFP Police as the provincial police was fighting the country's war against terrorism. Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Babar Awan informed the House that three Agro-farms were auctioned through open auction worth Rs 317.28 million with a cost of 4.04 acres size plot open for action four million per Kanal, and 2.5 acres size plot for 4.6 million per kanal and 2.5 acre size plot for 4.6 kanal. The owner of the farm houses could keep their residence at farms houses.