RAWALPINDI, Dec 16: The government is committed to cooperating with the United States in combating terrorism, the interior minister, Faisal Saleh Hayat, said on Monday.

He was talking to reporters after a briefing at the FIA headquarters in Islamabad.

He said the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) would be reorganized. He said there was no Taliban leader in Pakistan as Pakistan-Afghan border had been sealed and was being strictly guarded.

“Local agencies are strictly guarding the border with the assistance of foreign help,” he added.

He said the people who had voted them had high expectations and wanted justice. “Justice should be seen practically. It is the target of our government to provide justice to the common man,” he added.

Mr Hayat admitted that “our justice system is not well- tuned, therefore, we have to be patient”. New laws are being framed to reduce pendency of cases and ensure prompt disposition of cases, he added.

Disclosing the details of crackdown on human-smuggling gangs by the FIA passport circle, the minister said recently the Prevention and Control of Human Trafficking Ordinance 2002 had been promulgated by the president to check the menace of human- smuggling.

Mr Hayat said the government directed the FIA authorities to launch a crackdown on agents after some poor people were cheated by such agents, who made false promises with them of providing jobs in Europe. These people were later deported from Spain.

He said the FIA passport circle team conducted separate raids in Rawalpindi and Islamabad and arrested the leader of a gang and some members involved in human smuggling.

Our Reporter from Islamabad adds: Interior Minister Makhdoom Faisal Saleh Hayat on Monday claimed that more PPP members would join the forward bloc in the near future.

Speaking at a get-together hosted by the PPP Patriots workers here at a local hotel, the minister said former prime minister Benazir Bhutto was still their leader and his team would work under her guidance.

He said a large number of PPP leaders had supported the stance adopted by the PPP Patriots and were ready to join the group.

He said the leaders of his group were the real assets of the party as they had sacrificed for the PPP.

He said the PPP had been hijacked by some vested interests, but the real workers and leaders would rid the party from the clutches of such elements.

He said the so-called leaders of the PPP had become part of a conspiracy hatched to keep the party out of the government. However, after receiving 7.6 million votes in the elections, the PPP had a right to form government and resolve the problems of the people.