PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government will equip the counter-terrorism force with cellphone tracking devices to check incidents of extortion and kidnapping for ransom in the province.

It will also legislate to declare the use and sale of unregistered SIM cards in the province penal offences. Currently, there is no law to declare such acts criminal.

Recently, provincial police chief Nasir Khan Durrani had requested the federal government to legislate on the matter.

Provincial information minister Mushtaq Ghani, who presided over a meeting of technical committee on law and order here on Tuesday, told Dawn that equipment would be purchased for the counter-terrorism force.

The committee was set up in light of the National Action Plan against terrorism.

The minister said his government would immediately provide two locators to the counter-terrorism force to help identify location of cellphones used for terrorism related activities, kidnapping for ransom, and extortion.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police don’t have such equipment though the province has long seen high incidence of terrorism and extortion.

Minister says use and sale of unregistered SIM cards will be declared offences

Ghani said the purchase of interceptor – high-tech equipment used for intercepting communication of criminals and terrorists, had been postponed as it required prior permission of the federal government. He said an interceptor sold at around Rs800 million on the open market. The minister said locators could trace cellphone number and the equipment was cheaper.

He said the province had already asked the centre for permission to acquire interceptor but the response was awaited.

Ghani said his government would legislate to declare the use and sale of unregistered SIM cards panel offences and once the legislation was done, action would be taken against the relevant companies.

During the meeting, the technical committee decided that Afghan nationals would not be allowed to get job in educational institutions in the province. It recommended increase in the strength of police in Peshawar and Haripur districts due to presence of Afghan nationals in large numbers.

Officials of the law enforcement agencies identified ‘grey areas’ in several districts, including Peshawar, Kohat, Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan, Hangu and Malakand.

Published in Dawn January 14th , 2015

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