Personal Identification Secure Comparison and Evaluation System (PISCES)
ABOUT PISCES:
PISCES Project provides Immigration officials and law enforcement agencies with a tracking system to capture vital information of travelers and allows them to identify and, if necessary detain individuals of interest. Establishment of Country-wide Network and retrieval of desired information using fastest communication channels by the authorized persons only.
PISCES project will enable the linking of all ports of exit/entry under real-time networking environments and provide smooth working co-ordination and standardization among different law enforcement agencies in the area of immigration control. In this connection PISCES system has been installed at seven major airports of the country i.e. Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, Quetta, Multan and Faisalabad airports till the end of year 2004. The system has provision to accommodate information on suspects from all law enforcement agencies like Immigration, Police, Narcotics Control, Anti-smuggling, and Intelligence Services.
Administration of entry and exit of persons to and from Pakistan and prevention of unwanted persons to enter into the country rests with the Interior Division. The project has enhanced the capability of immigration staff of FIA to monitor immigration work more efficiently.
Presently flow of passengers to and from Pakistan in volume is five million travelers per annum. The project has made the immigration staff capable of keeping full record of all incoming and outgoing passengers, which will be used for detection of any suspect and may also be used for other numerous uses regarding making policy for immigration.
An effective check on illegal border crossing at all the entry/exit points and prevention of suspects to enter into the country is the top priority of the government. The project is providing latest technology to immigration staff of FIA to maintain record of all incoming and outgoing passengers so that all suspects could be detected and the data will be used for other secondary users. Furthermore the project will effectively control human smuggling which is a big international concern these days.
Present Development of PISCES
CURRENT STATE OF DEPLOYMENT:
Air Ports 12
Sea ports 04
Land Routs 05
Railway Station 02
International flights from Multan and Faisalabad.
Coverage of Hajj flights from different terminals other than regular department lounges from all airports of Pakistan.
Increase in international flights involving jumbo planes from Karachi airport.
Influx of passengers from India by air, railway and land routes.
Increase in traffic at sea ports
Achievements of PISCES Project
Automated storage of immigration information with sufficient proof and record.
Exact tracking of suspected individuals holding stolen, lost passports and all those placed on black lists with reference to issuance of visas and passports.
Smooth and accurate control on Exit Control List and thus avoiding the previously experienced complications in this regard.
Smooth and prompt working liaisons with all departments and agencies which require immigration data as input for their respective functions.
Quick production of output reports like passengers processed at one particular airport in a defined period of dates, number of persons belonging to a particular nationality traveled to/from Pakistan in defined periods. Such reports are required by Ministry of Interior and number of international organizations.
UTILIZATION OF PISCES PROJECT
Check on illegal stay in Pakistan by linking police registration system with PISCES system.
To promote tourism in the country. The target country can be identified on nationality wise arrival of passengers in Pakistan.
To counter terrorism PISCES system can be utilized by intelligence services and police forces by joining single pieces of information with each other and linking it with other single pieces of information like telephone number, vehicle number, addresses etc.
CBR can trace tax evaders who frequently go abroad on business trips but do not reflect this expenditure in their tax returns.
Interpol has issued a number of warrants for thousands of persons from different countries who are involved in different crimes. If this information is stored in PISCES system these persons can be traced on their arrival/departure in Pakistan.
To trace the entire network involved in human smuggling and sending people outside Pakistan on fake documents.
Visa issuance system of some selected countries can be linked with PISCES system to eliminate the illegal business of fake visas in Pakistan.
After 11th September 2001 every country is exercising lot of care in checking the validity of visa issued by their mission abroad. PISCES system can be used to cross check the particulars of passengers with the data collected from our foreign missions regarding issuance of visas to foreign travelers desiring to visit Pakistan.