Sindh govt strengthens security for Chinese nationals

FIA requested to provide 40 dashboard terminals for entry, exit data of foreigners

KARACHI:

The Sindh government has established Foreign Security Cell at Chief Police Office (CPO) in the city with its 31 branches in district headquarters in order to register data of Chinese nationals and other foreigners, for security purposes.

 This emerged on Friday in a meeting held under the chairmanship of Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah at CM House.

 The meeting was attended by Advisor to CM for Law Murtaza Wahab, Chief Secretary Sohail Rajput, Home Secretary Saeed Mangnijo, IG Police Ghulam Nabi Memon, Adl IG CTD Imran Yakoob Minhas, Karachi Additional IG Javed Odho, Rangers Deputy DG, provincial heads of intelligence agencies and other officers concerned, said a statement.

 The Chief Minister said that the incidents like Karachi University where Chinese teachers were attacked in a suicide bombing will not be allowed to happen again.

 "We have to strengthen the security of all foreign nationals, particularly the Chinese working on CPEC and other projects in the province," he said.

 The CM said that he had given guidelines to the police and other law enforcement agencies to chalk out a detailed foolproof security plan.

 Syed Murad Ali Shah said that the provision of security to Chinese nationals working on CPEC and other projects is a joint responsibility of all the stakeholders concerned.

 "Any incident threatening the security of Chinese nationals employed on various projects will have an impact on national level," he stated.

 Murad said that the Karachi University incident highlighted the vulnerability of Chinese nationals' security working in Pakistan.

 Officials briefed the chief minister was told that at present, eight CPEC projects were running in six districts of the province, where around 4,000 Chinese are working.

 In 2016, the Police had created a Special Protection Unit (SPU) to provide security cover to CPEC projects based in Sindh.

 The Home Secretary said that Sindh police, Pak Army, rangers, FC and private security guards were providing security cover to the CPEC projects under the umbrella of Special Security Division (SSD) in the light of SOPs issued by NECTA.

 It was disclosed that there were 214 projects, including 21 non-CPEC sponsored by government and 193 non-CPEC projects which are privately sponsored where 2300 Chinese are working.

 IG Police Ghlam Nabi said that a Foreign Information Desk has also been established by the Special Branch at Karachi Airport to register the data of all foreign nationals, including Chinese.

 He further said that the FIA has been requested to provide 40 dashboard terminals for entry and exit data of foreign nationals.