=> ISLAMABAD – Caretaker Prime Minister Mohammadmian
ISLAMABAD – Caretaker Prime Minister Mohammadmian Soomro Friday launched Automated Fingerprint Identification System (PAFIS) to provide a centralised database of fingerprints to help hunt down swiftly criminals and terrorists.
Soomro who inaugurated the system at the FIA Headquarters termed it an historic occasion and “a quantum leap to provide better and effective policing.”
The system that will eventually be integrated with country’s border control- PISCES (Personal Identification Secure Comparison and Evaluation System) and a forensic laboratory will help the investigators in their task. The system having a central database at Islamabad is hooked up to remote stations in 52 districts of the country having access to 122,000 fingerprints of criminals that was being upgraded to 440,000 prints, providing top-of-the-line biometrics identification technology.
Prime Minister Soomro said that use of technology was vital for capacity building of the police officials and to help them train better, investigate and track down the perpetrators in an efficient manner.
He stressed on the need to have a better working environment for the law enforcing personnel and said it was vital to keep them properly motivated.
The Prime Minister mentioned NADRA’s large database, which could be used by the new system of fingerprints, also to be kept with the banks and other institutions.
Soomro stressed broader involvement of the community, providing e-governance and online access to the police to effectively deal with criminals and terrorists. He was also appreciative of the US assistance in the project and said the two countries would continue with intelligence sharing and collaboration in fighting crimes.
Caretaker Interior Minister Hamid Nawaz Khan also addressed and said that there was a need to “re-invent” the police with greater interaction with the community. He said that it was important for police to enter a sort of service contract with the people to enhance their trust in them. Secretary Interior Syed Kamal Shah, DG National Police Bureau Dr Shoaib Suddle, Deputy Chief of US Mission to Pakistan Peter Bodde, CEO of Interactive Group Shahid Mahmood and DG FIA Tariq Pervaiz gave details of the project.
The PAFIS project beginning in 2005, will enable the law enforcement agencies a quick comparison from the database, through fiber and satellite linkage, a task that otherwise took weeks or even a month.
Peter Bodde said that the US State Department has provided US 13 million dollars for the project and the collaboration will continue for another year to provide reliable, on-line data.
He said that it will “multiply the capability of law enforcement agencies” and was part of the US support to improve police service of Pakistan.
The Federal Investigative Agency is using Lockheed Martin’s fingerprint identification system to quickly identify suspected criminals. PAFIS is a variant of a similar systems used by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the US Department of Defense (DoD).
The remaining 80 districts will be connected to the Central Site in the 2nd phase beginning June this year.
The Automated Fingerprint Identification System will later be integrated with Police Record and Office Management Information System (PROMIS), National Forensic Science Agency and will be followed by provision of a nationwide Integrated Radio Communication System for Police.
Source: The Nation
Date:1/28/2008
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