Kulbhushan Yadav will not be granted consular access: Nisar

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ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan Monday categorically stated that  RAW agent Kulbushan Yadav will not be granted consular access, as he entered the country as an enemy and not by mistake.

He was speaking to the media after inaugurating the Islamabad’s Safe City project here on Monday.

Nisar said that Yadav had entered the Pakistan territory for some “special objectives”.

Yadav had been arrested from Balochistan in March by security forces. He later confessed to being an Indian agent sent to Pakistan in order to destabilize the China Pakistan Economic Corridor.

Speaking about the re-verification of national identity cards he said that citizens will not be required to visit NADRA offices or to wait in long queues.  “We do not want to create problems for the public,” he said and added that the reverification would be completed without any hassle.  He added that those people who own a fake CNIC will be dealt with strictly.

To a question, he said that NADRA had blocked more than 250, 000 computerized national identity cards (CNICs).

 “We have also blocked 29, 00 fake passports. The verification process will complete in six months,” he added.

Interior Minister said certain vested groups and countries are out to sabotage China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project . He however said no power can undermine this mega project as people of two countries, their civilian and military leadership are committed to take it forward.

He said the CPEC is no longer a dream but is turning into a reality. He said both China and Pakistan are long standing friends and their destinies are intertwined.

About Islamabad safe city project costing 126 million rupees. he said it is the first of its kind and was need of the hour. It will serve as a role model for other parts of the countries and will be replicated in other cities.

Nearly 1,800 surveillance cameras have been installed across the federal capital as part of the project, whose command and control centre in a bombproof building at H-11 will monitor important buildings, entry and exit points, roads, commercial centres and a sizable portion of the city’s residential areas.

The Interior Minister said that he wanted to resolve the security issues and sought support of the citizens and the media. He said there would be no benefit of the Safe City project, if the crime rate was not brought down. He said for six months the Project would be monitored and then police check posts set up in different parts of the city would be reduced.

The minister emphasised the importance of police reforms and said the project’s success depends on the due performance of duty by the police and law enforcement.

“This project will be a failure if the deployed police do not perform their duties properly.”

“This is true policing, where every corner of Islamabad can be seen on camera,” said Nisar. “

The project has been operational since March, awaiting formal inauguration.

A comprehensive plan prepared to make Quetta and Gwadar safe cities costing Rs10 billion is also in the works and the provincial government has already approved Rs3bn for the purpose, he said.

Earlier, addressing passing out parade of police officers in Islamabad, he said overall security situation has improved in the country over the last three years.

He said incidents of terrorism have witnessed a visible decline. The credit for this goes to security and intelligence agencies of the country.

The Interior Minister said recruitment in police department are being made on merit and vowed to ensure the same in recruitment for Rapid Response Force as well.

Nisar said he was happy that 480 new recruits were appointed purely on merit. “We have to ensure transparency and merit in recruitment process,” he said.

He urged the Islamabad police chief to make the federal capital a crime-free city.

“There is visible improvement in the performance of Islamabad police,” he said, adding that his job was to ensure implementation of laws.

 He also called upon the new police recruits to bring about a genuine change.

“You have to bring about a real change. Not the change one party was chanting. A real change,” he said.

Nisar also distributed the keys of vehicles among FC Constabulary, FIA and Islamabad police. The vehicles had been provided by the Chinese government.