ISLAMABAD, Feb 16: Interior Minister Faisal Saleh Hayat on Sunday said that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has no mandate to conduct any operation in Pakistan.

Talking to Dawn the minister said that Islamabad had never permitted the FBI to launch any operation directly in the country. “However, local law enforcement agencies conduct raids to assist the FBI,” the minister added.

The minister said that the FBI personnel were present in Pakistan before Sep 11, 2001, for security of the US diplomats in the country.

“Anywhere in the world where the US missions exist, a team of FBI personnel remains associated with them for security reasons,” Mr Hayat said.

Responding to a question, he ruled out the possibility of Al Qaeda network in the country. “It is a propaganda of anti-state elements,” he claimed.

Talking about de-weaponization, the minister said that any such attempt in the past had failed to deliver any good.

He said that the last de-weaponization campaign, launched by the military government, also proved to be a futile exercise as the desired results were not achieved. “A total of 125,000 arms were seized,” he added.

However, Mr Hayat said, the interior ministry had made a comprehensive policy to ensure weapon free society, which would be implemented soon.

To a question about arms manufacturing units in some tribal areas which were reportedly contributing to the plague of illegal arms in the country, he said that it was a sensitive issue and could be resolved only through political initiative.