Taliban should be called traitors: Rehman Malik
ISLAMABAD, Apr 15 (APP): Minister for Interior Rehman A  Malik Friday appealed to members of the Lower House to call the militants “traitors” instead of “Taliban” as it means seekers of knowledge.“They are killing innocent people. They have also been found involved in attacking at shrines, which is  conspiracy to divide the country ethnically”, he said in reply to a question during the question-hour session.
The minister said that terrorism was a national subject and not provincial one adding that all the provinces were fulfilling their responsibilities with regard to eliminating terrorism.
To another question he said that the government through law enforcement agencies or agents was getting information about the entrance of terrorists into a certain area and take necessary measures to foil their nefarious designs. He said the law enforcement agencies in the country had been used as an oppressive arm of those in power.
To a question asked by Muhammad Riaz Malik of PML-N about the objectives of National Public Safety Commission (NPSC), the minister said in order to have a police force, which is politically neutral, responsive to community needs and publicly accountable; the government promulgated the Police Order 2002, which replaced the 145-year old Police Act of 1861, he said.
He said as required under Article-85 of the new law the NPSC, an independent statutory body for oversight of federal law enforcement agencies was established on Jun 12, 2006. The NPSC is assigned to oversee functioning of Federal Law Enforcement Agencies, he said.
He said due to amendments in Police Order 2002 carried out in 2004 through an ordinance by the President, the authority of NPSC was diluted as its main functions of appointment of Inspector General of Police were withdrawn. He said Provincial Safety Commissions were established in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and Punjab but these remained inactive because of the political governments in the provinces did not provide necessary assistance.
In the NPSC meetings during the past three years, he said  law and order and other police matters were discussed in detail.