links with arms smugglers: ISI

London (Online) - The Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) expressing its concern over ineffective control by law enforcing agencies especially the police to check arms smuggling has expressed its reservations over the performance of these departments and have said that several policemen are found to have close links with the arm dealers.
The ISI made this assertion in a letter written to Secretary Interior Kamal Shah.
On the other hand police officials rejected all the allegations and said that police department was affectively operating against those who are involved in arms smuggling irrespective whether they belonged to law enforcement agencies or not.
The interior ministry officials told BBC that various arms dealers are involved in arms smuggling and have relations with smugglers in tribal areas due to which a large number of people acquire illegal weapons
According to sources, terrorist acquire a large number of national and international weapons that they use time to time in different terrorist acts within different areas of Pakistan. The question of arms supply to terrorist was also raised in standing committee of National Assembly.
On the identification of ISI, police recovered a large sum of illegal arms from Larkana city and other cities of Sindh. During investigations the arrested arms dealers accepted the relations with smugglers in tribal areas and also that they buy and sell arms in different areas of Pakistan.
To this effect, ISI high officials have written a letter to Syed Kamal Shah, expressing concern over the fact that several individuals who are involved in arms smuggling have been given licenses by the interior ministry. They advised the ministry not to issue license to anyone without proper investigation. The ISI also stressed that concerned police officials should also scrutinize the arm dealers in their respective areas.
However, Chief Islamabad police Kalim Ullah said his top priority is to maintain peace in the City and police started a crack down against illegal arms holders. And we have an eagle eye on the arms dealers in the capital city.
Previously it was rumoured that distant targeting sniper gun is easily available only at the cost of one million in Pakistan.
Also there are more than 70 registered cases against policeman of four provinces including Islamabad related to arms dealing. SHO Aabpara police station is also accused of disappearing the arms recovered during Lal mosque operation.
According to the interior ministry, most of the policemen have close relations with arms dealers. Police high officials have certain complaints that arms recovered during any operation, which also includes foreign arms are mostly exchanged with ordinary arms before any legal action.
Talking to BBC, IG (r) Afzal Ali Shagri said that illegal arms are being smuggled through different means in Pakistan. He said that to legalise the illegal arms it is given to arms dealers. It is the duty of police to check the current stock of arms.
Further, he criticised police department that it was not performing its real duties.