ISLAMABAD, Oct 12: Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said on Saturday that he had asked the Federal Investigation Agency to fast- track a high treason case against former president Pervez Musharraf and take it to a logical conclusion within six weeks.

The treason case pertains to the imposition of emergency on Nov 3, 2007, and not to the overthrow of the Nawaz Sharif-led government on Oct 12, 1999.

Chaudhry Nisar further said at a press conference after presiding over a meeting at the interior ministry that the former president’s name was on the Exit Control List (ECL) and would stay there till a fresh order from the Supreme Court.

Although Pervez Musharraf has been under house arrest since April, a day earlier the Islamabad High Court had rejected a petition filed by Haroon Rasheed, son of Ghazi Abdul Rasheed of the Lal Masjid, seeking directives to put his name on the ECL.

The minister said the FIA had also been asked to complete investigation in four corruption scandals in six weeks. The cases relate to scams in the Employees Old Age Benefits Institution (EOBI), Trade Development Authority (TDAP), Pakistan State Oil (PSO) and the New Islamabad Airport project.

He said those involved in these scams who had fled the country would be brought back with the help of Interpol. Replying to a question on the issue, he said the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) was not an investigation agency.

Chaudhry Nisar said the ministry would convene a meeting after Eid where top officials of NAB and the FIA and representative of the Transparency International Pakistan would be invited to evolve a clear system of audit and an in-built reactive system within departments in cases of violation of rules, including the PPRA rules. He said the system would initially be put in place in the Ministry of Interior and subsequently a briefing would be given to the cabinet for its replication in other ministries.

SOCIAL MEDIA: The minister revealed that a request of the Sindh government for blocking social media services Skype, Viber and What’sApp had been turned down and a formal response was being sent.

He said the SIMs issued without verification were a major factor in terrorists gaining space and the government would not allow the mobile phone companies to play with the security of the country.

He said he will convene a meeting with the Ministry of Information Technology and the cellular companies to discuss the issue of millions of unaccounted SIMs. He said he wanted a foolproof system in place to address the issue by the yearend.

HUMAN TRAFFICKING: The Interior Minister said the FIA had blacklisted as many as 95 human trafficking dons, most of them operating internationally. He said 26 of them had been arrested and action against the rest would be taken in coming weeks. “Their bank accounts will be frozen, property seized, passports cancelled and names put on the ECL. We will put the heat on those who are abroad,” he remarked.

He said the countries from where the human traffickers were operating would be pressured and red warrants would be issued against them.

He said he would personally monitor the entire exercise.

The minister said over 2,000 red and blue passports issued to unauthorised persons had been cancelled.

He disclosed that the misuse of those passports had also led to cancellation of agreements with some countries for visa free entry.