PESHAWAR: In order to effectively check terrorism-related incidents, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police have sought permission for allowing them direct access to phone intercepts, National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) database and FIA’s database on travel history besides provision of necessary equipment and software for boosting its intelligence gathering capabilities.

The proposals, submitted by Inspector General of Police Nasir Khan Durrani to the federal government for incorporation in the National Counter-Terrorism Strategy (NCTS), also include the demand for powers to directly intercept calls with certain checks and balances.

The IGP stressed the need that police and other civil and military law enforcement agencies (LEAs) shall be given direct access to the Nadra’s verification system (Verisys), family tree, automated fingerprint identification system and facial recognition. Similarly, the police chief has also proposed that the police and other LEAs must be given direct access to the bank account details of all militants under watch so that fund transfers and receipts in their accounts both from within the country and abroad can be monitored.

A document obtained by this correspondent here on Sunday revealed that the police have also suggested that all the LEAs, including police, must be given direct access to travel records and travel histories of all militants under watch.

The federal government, it said, should legislate for maintaining an updated and real time database of all those residing in rented properties, hotels, motels, guest houses, inns and hostels. It would enable the police and other LEAs to keep a close and timely watch on all suspects residing in a particular area.

It was stated that the recent terrorist attack on the Army Public School (APS), Peshawar, had left an indelible scar on the entire nation. Frustrated by the successful operations conducted by the armed forces, the terrorists have resorted to targeting the soft targets and public places in retaliation. Owing to the abundance of soft targets, the militants are targeting them with impunity.

Want direct access to phone intercepts, Nadra database and bank account details of militants

While the law enforcement agencies are taking every possible measure to thwart the evil designs of these terrorists, there are a number of factors which are proving to be a big impediment. In fact, these factors are providing an environment that is conducive for the militants and thus need to be addressed on war footing.

The factors identified by the police include the poor border management along the Durand Line, lawlessness in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) and its impact on settled areas, unregulated use of illegal/fake mobile SIMs by terrorists and extortionists, easy availability of lodging spaces for militants, training and logistic support to militants by some madaris/religious institutions, absence of legislation to regulate activities of leadership of proscribed organisations, poor rate of conviction in terrorism cases, easy availability of raw material for explosives, and inadequate legal and technological support for LEAs.

“Given the present security situation and the factors affecting the nation’s offensive against terrorists, it is imperative to embark upon a three-pronged strategy to target hardening of sensitive and vulnerable places and establishments, addressing the factors facilitating the terrorists, and intelligence-led offensive operations against militants on priority basis,” it stated.

It was also proposed that the federal government should evolve mechanism to regulate the movement of people at least on the declared entry points along the international border with Afghanistan so that infiltration of terrorists could be controlled.

The police chief said that unfortunately the tribal areas had become the hub of terrorist and criminal activities, affecting both the tribal and settled areas. The continued assassinations of tribal elders and the weakening of political agent’s office has shattered the entire governance system of tribal areas thereby making them an administrative black hole. This when coupled with prevalence of a multitude of different legal and law enforcement systems within the country and the elimination of buffer zone between the tribal and settled areas have created an administrative and legal anomaly which is being exploited by the criminals and militants to the detriment of public order and safety.

The IGP stated that all the militant organisations had their bases, marakiz, training centres, logistic facilities and shura headquarters based in tribal areas with the consequence that these areas had become the launching area for all terrorist and criminal activities, while the settled areas had become the target areas for crimes originating from tribal areas. While the militants based in tribal areas can go to any part of the country, the police are unable to operate in tribal areas.

The police chief suggested that there was a dire need to improve the governance in Fata for having a sustainable long-term improvement of law and order in settled areas. The federal government should constitute a joint taskforce comprising representatives from the tribal areas, the provincial government and federal government to evolve a strategy for establishing the state’s writ in the tribal areas. The taskforce, he said, would also consider the short- and long-term recommendations for improving governance in Fata.

Besides, he said the recruitment of Fata’s youth in KP police would go a long way in enhancing the national integrity and capacity of the police in tackling the crimes originating from tribal areas.

The IGP also said that the government should undertake legislation for making possession of illegal/fake SIMs and issuance of SIMs without verification by service providers/franchises a cognizable offence in which police and FIA might have concurrent jurisdiction.

He suggested that the Frontier Constabulary should be tasked to establish permanent checkposts to stop the infiltration and incursions of militants from tribal areas into settled areas. He suggested employment of an effective Border Management System, integration of Fata in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa or creation of a separate province comprising of the tribal areas, reforms in the legal structure for Fata and unification of law across the entire country and extension of the Supreme Court’s jurisdiction and due process of law to Fata.

Published in Dawn January 12th , 2014

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