ISLAMABAD, Oct 17: Interior Minister Moinuddin Haider on Thursday said international tenders of a project of Rs2.8 billion for issuance of machine readable passports will be floated next month.

The process for appointment of an international consultant for the project was under way, following which tenders would be invited to replace the present passports with machine readable ones, Mr Haider said at a press conference after 8th inter-provincial meeting on law and order.

He said that with the implementation of the project, Pakistanis would have a credible travel document.

He said the process of preparation of passports would be brought under one roof and the 28 registration offices in the country would be made paperless. They would be linked through computers to a central office where the passports would be prepared, he said.

The minister said the meeting had reviewed the implementation of police reforms and the improvements being made in the provincial crime investigation departments.

Under a project of Rs40 million, the CIDs were equipped with latest investigation equipment and their staff was being trained to investigate crimes.

He pointed out that the cabinet on Wednesday approved an ordinance for setting up a prosecution service in the provinces for expeditious disposal of criminal cases.

The minister said the border security project of $73 million would be completed by February 2003. He said some of the equipment, including three planes, would be delivered by the United States authorities by January.

The first consignment of the equipment, including five helicopters, had arrived, he said and added that the project would address the transportation needs of the scouts and border security forces along the western borders.

The US, he said, had committed a supplementary grant of $40 million for training of staff and meeting auxiliary expenditures.

The meeting reviewed the progress on the establishment of forensic laboratories with a cost of Rs1.2 billion.

He said the government had acquired land here for setting up the main laboratory, which would have branches in the provincial capitals.