17 December 2004	Friday	04 Ziqa'ad 1425

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ISLAMABAD, Dec 16: Interior Minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao said on Thursday Asif Ali Zardari had not yet applied for a passport.

"I have checked with the passport authorities in Karachi as well as with the ministry and they have received no application (for passport) from Mr Zardari so far," he said while responding to queries of the journalists after visiting a free Pollen Allergy treatment set up at Aabpara Community Centre here.

The minister said there were some procedural requirements to attain a passport or get a name deleted from the Exit Control List (ECL). "But nothing has been communicated to us by Zardari (in this regard) yet," he said.

When pointed out that there was a general impression that Mr Zardari wanted to proceed abroad but the government was not allowing him to leave the country by not issuing him a passport, Mr Sherpao said: "If any application is received from him, the government will adopt the procedure laid down by the law."

RELIGION COLUMN: Responding to a question regarding the possibility of misuse of passport in the absence of the religion column in the document as well as the perception created by some religious parties that Ahmadis would now also be able to go to Saudi Arab for performing Haj, he said all precautionary measures had been taken in this regard.

WAZIRISTAN: About the local support for foreign terrorist elements in South Waziristan and the level of resistance in the tribal area at present, Mr Sherpao said the situation in the area had improved a lot and locals, who were earlier supporting the foreign miscreants in the area, had now surrendered to the government.