RAWALPINDI, Dec 7: The federal government has directed the provincial governments to ‘reorganize’ the Crime Investigation Department (CIDs) and Special Branch to counter terrorism, an official source said.

The source said the provincial governments had also been directed to install ‘close-circuit cameras’ at sensitive places in big cities to monitor the movements of vehicles.

The directives to all the four provincial governments to reorganize the CIDs and Special Branch were given by the federal government after a recent top level meeting held in Islamabad. Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali had presided over the meeting, the source said.

He said it was decided to get benefit from both the CIDs and Special Branch— sister departments of police and headed by the IGP of the province— by re-organising them so that they could help the law enforcing agencies and provide information about terrorists’ activities.

A Special Branch official told Dawn on request of anonymity: “It is a good idea to get benefit and activate the Special Branch, however, we have not received any directives from the provincial government so far.”

To re-organize the CIDs and the Special Branch, huge funds are required which seems difficult at the moment, he added.

The government believes that currently the CIDs depends upon human intelligence to counter terrorism.

The CID in Punjab focuses on sectarian terrorism, therefore, sufficient funds and latest equipment have been provided to the department while more equipment will be supplied shortly, the source added.

In another move, the provincial governments and Islamabad Capital Territory administration have been directed to install close-circuit cameras to monitor movements of vehicles in the big cities, the source said.

The source said the process of installation of the cameras in Islamabad had already been started.