Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry has said the government is ready to hold a detailed debate in Parliament on terrorism, law and order, and the implementation of the National Action Plan.

He was responding to points of order raised by lawmakers in the National Assembly today [Tuesday].

The Minister of State said the government is prepared to discuss all fourteen points of the National Action Plan without a blame game or political point-scoring.

He highlighted that the National Action Plan is a consensus document involving both the federal and provincial governments, and each province has an important role to play in its implementation.

Talal Chaudhry said Parliament should discuss the contributions and responsibilities of each province and region under the plan.

He, however, regretted that opposition members had not participated in various security-related meetings, including in-camera briefings and meetings held under the chairmanship of the Speaker.

Talal Chaudhry stressed that security forces are performing their duties in the fight against terrorism, but political forces also need to play their role.

He said the war against terrorism cannot be won unless political forces stand united behind the security forces with a common narrative.

Responding to concerns regarding identity cards, Talal Chaudhry said no person's identity card is suspended or blocked merely on the basis of their province of origin.

He said the government is carrying out a nationwide campaign to cleanse official records of illegally obtained identity documents and foreign nationals.

The Minister of State said Afghan nationals had obtained Pakistani identity cards and, in some cases, had also been included in family trees through different means.

He said action has also been taken against officials involved in such irregularities, with several officials facing criminal cases and some having been dismissed from service.

Referring to Pakistani passports illegally obtained by Afghan nationals, he said around five thousand such passports had been surrendered in Saudi Arabia alone.

He said the government needs to ensure that the country's official records are accurate, as possession of Pakistani documents by foreign nationals involved in crimes can have implications for Pakistan and its visa regime.

Talal Chaudhry also rejected allegations that passports of people from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are being deliberately withheld.

He said he is ready to examine individual cases and provide details if any person faces difficulties in obtaining a passport because of their provincial or regional identity.

The Minister of State said the government has introduced reforms in the passport system, improved security features, and facilitated online applications and appointments.

He said the backlog in passport issuance, which stood at around six months when the government assumed office, has been reduced.

He added that efforts are also underway in collaboration with NADRA to provide passport facilities at its centres to facilitate citizens and reduce long queues.

Talal Chaudhry further said the Federal Investigation Agency has arrested more than one hundred agents during the last month for allegedly charging citizens for passport-related services outside passport offices.

He said criminal cases have also been registered against officials found to be involved in such practices.

The Minister of State said strict action would be taken against any official found harassing citizens or creating hurdles in the passport issuance process.

The House will now meet tomorrow at 2:30 p.m.