Explosives factory busted in Balochistan: Malik

ISLAMABAD Minister for Interior Rehman Malik on Wednesday informed the Upper House of the Parliament that security agencies had confiscated a huge cache of explosives and suicide jackets from a house located on Chaman Bypass.
While winding up the debate on law and order situation, the Minister took the House in confidence over three successful operations conducted against terrorists and illegal foreign exchange dealers recently. Malik informed that on Wednesday morning, the security agencies raided a house situated on Chaman Bypass in Balochistan, which, he said, came out to be a factory of explosive materials and suicide jackets. 26 suicide jackets, 12 bombs, 14 detonators, 8 mines, one rocket launcher, four walkie-talkie phones and a box of electronic devices were confiscated during the raid, he informed.
He also informed the House about the successful operation against the illegal moneychangers on the request of Ministry of Finance. Four illegal exchange dealers have been arrested during the last week, which enhanced the value of rupee by one rupee against the dollar, the Minister said. The rupee will gain further weight during the next few days, he added.
Malik told the House that the military operation in South Waziristan was almost over, adding that except Bajaur Agency, the military actions in rest of the tribal agencies had delivered very positive results.
He further said that secret agencies had arrested Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, deputy minister in Taliban regime in Afghanistan, from Karachi, adding that the terrorists were on the run from tribal areas and infiltrating into cities due to the successful military operations.
He also said that 20 percent crimes in Pakistan were committed by Afghan refugees but regretted that foreign donors were not cooperating with Pakistan in their repatriation. He informed that 37 persons involved in Bolton Market incident on Ashura had been arrested on the information collected from CCTV footages.
He said strict action would be taken wherever the writ of the Government would be challenged. He said no incident of target-killing had taken place in Karachi after extending Rangers to all parts of the city. He said criminals were using the cover of various political parties and that he had appealed to the political forces in the city to disown them.
He further informed that Government was in touch with all the political forces in Balochistan and that the situation in the province had been much improved as compared to the past.
I have also constituted a committee to look into the matter of Government lands grabbed by land mafia in Karachi, Malik said. He further said that SHOs, ASPs and SPs would be held responsible for any crimes committed in their respective jurisdiction in Karachi.
He reiterated that there were no Blackwater agents in the country. He said that strength and capacity of police force was being enhanced. He informed that 2,200 terrorists had so far been arrested from NWFP while 600 terrorists were arrested from FATA.
He informed that Government had settled all the issues with the Wafaqul Madaris and Tanzeemul Madaris regarding reforms in religious seminaries. He assured that ANP would be fully taken on board in consultation process in Karachi.
On a point of order, Senator Shahid Bugti said that Balochistan Government was registering politically motivated cases against him. Chairman Senate directed Malik to write to Balochistan Government not to register any case against the senator without his (Maliks) prior permission.
Senator Ilyas Bilour on a point of order lamented over the deteriorating state of affairs in PIA. The situation has worsened to an extent that the airline does not even have spare parts for the aircrafts, he said.