Security for foreigners: Sitting ducks in Punjab

Police and provincial home dept survey says American, Chinese citizens vulnerable to attacks.

LAHORE: Security arrangements for the protection of foreign citizens in Punjab have been deemed inadequate, according to an internal investigation conducted by the police and the provincial home department.

A secret survey conducted by the Punjab home department revealed that 49 out of the
63 development projects in the province do not have adequate protection for the foreign – mostly Chinese – engineers who are supervising them.

The survey estimates that some 1,797 Chinese citizens are currently involved in development projects in Punjab.

In response to the results of the investigation, the home department of the province has instructed the inspector general of the Punjab Police to coordinate within the department and with other law enforcement agencies to step up protection measures taken for the safety of foreign citizens living and working in the province.

The security of Chinese engineers working in Punjab became a concern to the provincial government when it received intelligence reports that terrorists may try to target Chinese engineers living in Gujranwala and working on Nandipur Power Project. Other intelligence reports suggested that Chinese engineers working on projects in Sargodha may also be targeted.

In response to the home department’s instructions, the inspector general of the police has ordered extra security to be deployed to protect foreign residents in the province, particularly Chinese and American citizens.

The additional security measures include daily checks on their places of residence and work as well as police escorts for foreign citizens moving between districts.

In conjunction with intelligence agencies, the police are also beginning to step up its protection of multinational corporations, major businesses, UN agencies, major non-governmental organisations and churches throughout the province.

The home department’s instructions call for screening of the security staff deployed at these locations, especially checking for their links to extremist organisations.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 4^th, 2011.