NATO supply routes: Authorities unveil elaborate security plan

Provincial police, Rangers and FC deployed at various hotspots across country for security.


Umer Farooq/asad Kharal July 13, 2012

PESHAWAR/ LAHORE:


Unveiling an elaborate security plan amid a volatile security situation, the Ministry of Interior has assigned duties to the police, Rangers and other law enforcement agencies at various points to ensure the safe transport of Nato containers from Karachi to the Pak-Afghan border.


The mega security plan has been forwarded to provincial home departments, provincial police chiefs and provincial heads of other LEAs, such as the Frontier Constabulary (FC), for implementation.

The plan has been prepared in view of continuous threats by militant groups such as the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), as well as intelligence agencies’ reports, which revealed that some recent Nato convoys had been attacked, sources told The Express Tribune.

According to the route-wise security plan issued by the National Crisis Management Cell of the interior ministry, the Sindh Rangers and Sindh police will be responsible for the security of Nato containers for part of the supply route which stretches from Karachi to Kot Sabzal. Punjab Rangers and Punjab police will then be responsible for security from Kot Sabzal to Attok Pul.  From Attock Pul to Hayatabad, containers will be monitored by the FC.

Convoys will finally arrive at the Torkham border where the security arrangements have been freshly upgraded. The number of check-posts have been increased from four to eight, while the deployment of LEA personnel on these check-posts has also been considerably increased.

Furthermore, the federal government has directed the National Logistic Cell and the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to ensure the systematic clearance of containers, while the interior ministry has instructed the director general of the Federal Investigation Agency to ensure complete coordination with the FBR.

K-P home and tribal affairs meeting

Meanwhile, the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government, in a meeting held at the home and tribal affairs department, proposed a strategy for smooth and secure supply of the Nato containers and oil tankers up to the Torkham border.

The K-P government has also asked the federal government to convene a meeting of the K-P, Sindh and Punjab home departments, Frontier Corps, Frontier Constabulary, Pakistan Customs, political administration of the Khyber agency, police departments of provinces concerned, National Highway Authority along with officials of the National Logistics Cell.

“The Ministry of Interior should convene a meeting of these departments to devise a coordinating mechanism  for a transportation policy for Nato supplies on K-P’s proposals. The K-P government would then assume responsibility for security of the Nato supplies,” the meeting decided.

According to minutes of the meeting, a copy of which is available with The Express Tribune, 50 Nato oil tankers/vehicles (per day) would be allowed to enter K-P at Khairabad from 5am to 8am.

Ten vehicles of the police will escort the Nato convoy for which K-P has asked the federal government to sanction Rs0.1million for daily fuel charges for police and Rs50,000 for Frontier Corps and Khasadars.

The home and tribal affairs department has also demanded of the federal government to provide explosive detectives, explosive scanners and sniffer dogs to check vehicles for improvised explosive devices before they enter the province.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 13th, 2012.

 

COMMENTS (2)

Cautious | 11 years ago | Reply

@gp65

It would be nice if Pakistani leadership (civilian and military) showed the same concern for Pakistani citizens as it has for NATO goods.

Probably the same --- lots of talk with no intent/ability to deliver on promises.

gp65 | 11 years ago | Reply

It would be nice if Pakistani leadership (civilian and military) showed the same concern for Pakistani citizens as it has for NATO goods.

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