RAWALPINDI: Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed on Saturday said that taxi drivers not involved in the abduction of Afghan ambassador’s daughter, he admitted that he ordered the release of the four taxi drivers as they were innocent.

“They were not involved in the kidnapping of the Afghan ambassador’s daughter and there was no evidence against them,” he added.

Mr Ahmed said his ministry would provide all evidence and documented proofs to his Afghan counterpart minister when he would visit the ministry.

He said the envoy’s daughter travelled in the taxi cabs and had paid the fare. “She visited the places at will and paid the fare which is enough to prove that she had money in her pocket,” the minister said.

He said they had provided all record of the investigation, video recordings and evidence to the Foreign Office.

“Now the Foreign Office will answer the questions regarding this case,” he added.

Talking to mediapersons after the oath-taking ceremony of the Municipal Workers Union, the minister urged the media not to show such “mental” people as they needed fame.

“When I was in jail, I saw such people who just wanted to get fame,” he said.

Referring to the alleged killer of Noor, Mr Ahmed said: ‘If I can, I will shoot the murderer.”

Replying to another question, the minister said some elements were trying to create misunderstandings between Pakistan and China, but the Pakistani nation fully trusted the Chinese government.

“China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project would be completed at all costs,” he added.

About the Sindh government’s decision of lockdown, the interior minister said the provincial government was harming its own interests by placing the entire province under lockdown.

He said he had already said the PPP would get more seats than the PML-N in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir elections and that the polls would be held according to schedule.

“Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf will form government in Sindh after the next general elections in 2023,” he claimed.

The interior minister said the government would install 190 CCTV cameras in Rawalpindi to ensure surveillance of all areas of the twin cities.

He said 500 cameras should be installed as both the cities were very sensitive.

“GHQ is located in Rawalpindi while the Diplomatic Enclave was in Islamabad, therefore, security of both cities was important,” he said.

Mr Ahmed said he had done a lot of work in the education sector in Rawalpindi and was still working hard to provide more facilities to female students in higher education.

Two women universities were established in Rawalpindi while a college for women would be made the third women’s university, he announced.

The minister said Water and Sanitation Agency, Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation, Rescue-1122, police, army troops and other departments concerned were on high alert to tackle any flood-like emergency during monsoon.

He said the Leh Nullah project would be launched soon and living standard of the residents of the localities in adjacent areas would be uplifted.