KARACHI, Oct 26: The Lahore-based surgeon, Dr Amir Aziz, who was picked up on Monday for his alleged links with Osama bin Laden, has not yet been handed over to the US authorities, Secretary Interior Tasneem Noorani said.

Talking to APP here on Saturday, he said Dr Amir had been arrested as part of the ongoing war against terrorism by international coalition.

About the Pakistani prisoners kept at Guantanamo Bay, he said negotiations were underway with the American officials for the release of five Pakistanis. “They will soon be handed over to us,” he said.

At least 58 Pakistanis were arrested and shifted to the Guantanamo Bay immediately after the US-led attack on Afghanistan last year.

NIPA COURSE: Promotion of e-governance in various departments would facilitate and improve the services.

“We have not yet achieved any breakthrough in development of e-governance,” Mr Noorani said while speaking at the certificate- distribution ceremony of graduates of 74th advance course on public sector management at NIPA on Saturday.

He said the adoption of advantage of information technology would bring the public sector at par with the private sector.

He admitted that it would be difficult for the old batch to adapt to the IT, however, the new-comers and existing young officers could play a major role in this regard.

“Paperless and computerised work will ensure full transparency and efficiency in the public sector,” he said.

Mr Noorani asked the officers to be innovative and wherever possible attempts should be made to improve the performance of their respective departments within the rules and framework.

“Even suggestions be made to bring changes in rules and regulations that seem outdated,” he said.

He was critical of those officers who would neither quit nor service the public. “A civil servant should be brave enough to quite or he should serve the masses in a better way,” he said, referring to various instances.

He was hopeful that the course participants would take practical measures in their departments to pass on the advantages of the courses they had at NIPA.

The director general NIPA-Karachi, Kamran Aslam, highlighted the features of the courses and workshops being held by the institute from time to time.

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