ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Monday said a strong anti-riot unit comprising 2,000 men was being raised to enhance the capacity of the capital police.

Briefing a National Assembly panel on the performance of his ministry, he said Islamabad police would be equipped with two water cannons by the end of the current month.

This probably marked his first appearance before any parliamentary committee since assumption of office in June 2013.

He informed participants that a survey had been initiated by National Database Registration Authority (Nadra) to compile data of households, including domestic workers, to check the rising number of unregistered people in the capital.

The project was conceptualised and started in May 2014 and now the survey of all sectors of Islamabad has been completed. The process of surveying slum areas was underway and would be completed in a few months, he said.

The minister said Nadra had also expedited the completion of the ‘safe city project’, which has been in doldrums since the five years. He said under the project, 2,000 security cameras would be installed to ensure security in Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

He pointed out that the previous government had borrowed $68.5 million from a Chinese creditor, EXIM Bank, and released the amount for the project without any progress on ground.

“Had the issue been neglected, the country would have been liable to pay interest on this amount after 2016,” he added.

Chaudhry Nisar said the project had been taken up by the interior ministry and the cut-off date for its completion was set in June this year.

An emergency command and control centre is being established for the purpose, for which work is under progress, he said. He said “When fully operational, this will be the first and only technology-based security system in the country.”

The minister said for the first time, Nadra had unveiled a new policy to deal with registration of parent-less or abandoned children under which the head of an orphanage where such a child lived was eligible to become his or her legal guardian. Over 30 orphanages have been registered and 40 guardianship certificates have been issued, so far.

The interior minister further said computerisation of the entire land record for Islamabad capital territory (ICT) was underway and it would be available online by the end of the year.

He said services centre had been launched by the ICT administration where residents of Islamabad would have the facility of getting all public services at one window.

Another project, first of its kind, under which chip-based registration cards would be issued for vehicles, has also been initiated.

He said land revenue in the last fiscal year increased by 18 per cent compared to last year. Total receipts during 2012-2013 were to the tune of Rs486 million which increased to Rs577 million during 2013-14. This was a result of steps taken by the ICT administration in checking the practice of declaring reduced prices when selling and purchasing property, he said.

The minister also said that availability of revenue staff for facilitating sale-purchase deeds between parties was also ensured.

He said drive under the drive against adulterated food more than 1,200 fines were issued against various eateries and retailers during the year 2013-14.

The ICT police recovered more than 120 vehicles through the introduction of intelligent mobile verification system and arrested terrorists involved in high profile attacks such as the Shahbaz Bhatti murder case and attacks on the Danish embassy and Luna Caprice.

The minister said the ICT police were specifically ordered to check excesses by its officials and resultantly, during year 2013-14, 1,934 officials from the rank of constable to inspector were charged with major and minor penalties for violations.

Published in Dawn, March 17th, 2015

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