Pasha-like people should be kept out of army: Pak minister

Pakistan's Interior Minister Nisar Ali Khan has said that people like former Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) director-general Ahmed Shuja Pasha should be kept out of the country's army.

Nisar said that though Chief of Army Staff Ashfaq Parvez Kayani has kept away from politics, "we need to purge the army and its leadership of such people (like Gen Pasha)", The News International reported Wednesday. According to the minister, the army leadership should be kept aware of its real responsibilities.

Stating that the government is committed to overcoming the law and order situation in the country, he told Hamid Mir of Geo TV in the 'Capital Talk' programme that a meeting of all security agencies had been called June 20 to formulate a new policy dealing with the threats being faced by the country.

He said intelligence agencies should share information instead of competing with each leading to dangerous problems

Two task forces on missing persons in Balochistan and for coordination between secret agencies would be formed, Nisar said.

Dubbing as "a strange thing" the killing of people in Balochistan despite a large security presence, he said that his ministry would eliminate the "jungle law" that is prevailing in that province.

The report also quoted him as saying that he would come up with solid explanations regarding the issue of missing persons in Balochistan.

Regarding terrorist activities in the country, he said the government would ensure inquiry of all such incidents.

Asked about the law and order situation in Karachi, Nishar said that the federal government would help the province in cleansing it of all criminals.

At the same time, the minister also described the drone attacks that are carried out to flush out terrorists as unacceptable and said that it was an insult to an atomic power.

The government would look into all options before it to stop drone in Pakistan territory, according to Nishar.