Online News : Election campaign running smoothly, says Hamid

Election campaign running smoothly, says Hamid

ISLAMABAD: Caretaker Interior minister Hamid Nawaz Khan has said that the law and order situation of the country was improving day by day and election campaign is being run smoothly and peacefully.

President Pervez Musharraf in accordance with his announcement before the nation and world will lift state of emergency on Saturday (tomorrow), he said this while addressing the ceremony regarding issuing of new uniform to Immigration Staff of Federal Investigation Agency and later talking to media men here on Thursday.

The ongoing operation against militants in scenic valley of Swat has no relations with emergency rule in the country and it will be continued till elimination of extremism and terrorism from there, he added.

The caretaker interior minister further stated that the deposed judges of apex court including Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhary are free to move anywhere.

They can go anywhere, he said, adding, Government only wants they should tell us where they want to go we will help them. Government is ready to release President Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) Aitzaz Ahsan but followed by his assurance on some matters, he disclosed.

Renowned lawyer Aitzaz Ahsan was arrested according to 16 MPO and he is being under arrest due to some allegations leveled against him, Hamid Nawaz Khan added.

Expressing his views over the issue of Kher Diar Marri and Faiz Baloch, he said, they were arrested in UK and have no concern with Rashid Rauf Case. He said that the proceeding against Rashid Rauf is underway in accordance with law of Pakistan therefore he (Rauf) has not been handed over to UK.

The investigation of news published in section of press about Al-Qaeda plot to kill President Musharraf is underway, he told the media men.

Earlier, addressing the ceremony, the caretaker interior minister said, the Performance of FIA was improved during last some years. He urged Personnel of Immigration Staff to behave well with people and perform their duties with full dedication and devotion.

International observers and media will come throughout the world in Pakistan to monitor elections due in January and immigration should provide state of the art facilities to them, he maintained.

The smuggling of women in human trafficking is a serious problem, which could not come to end in any period but it has dropped significantly during tenure of incumbent Government, Hamid Nawaz pointed out. He hoped that FIA would eliminate human smuggling soon.

Speaking on the occasion, Federal Interior Secretary Syed Kamal Shah urged FIA to work with full devotion for the complete elimination of human smuggling.

All out resources are being given to immigration department to provide state of the art facilities to international passengers, he noted.

Director General (DG) FIA Tariq Pervez said that 50 Personnel would be recruited in Immigration department, which will not only improve its performance but also end corruption.

57 Pakistanis traveling on fake documents were arrested in 2007 as compared to 78 in 2004, DG FIA said, immigration staff are trying its level best to stop human smuggling.

At the end, shield was awarded to Senior Superintendent Police (SSP) Islamabad Police Kaleem Imam while honourary shields were awarded to caretaker interior minister Hamid Nawaz Khan and Federal Interior Secretary Syed Kamal Shah.