Three-tier security plan for foreigners prepared

ISLAMABAD:

The government has developed a three-tier security plan for foreigners, designed to operate at the federal, provincial, and district levels, ensuring the safety of all visitors, tourists, and officials.

The comprehensive security framework, according to the official documents available with The Express Tribune, includes deploying the army to ensure the security of high-level dignitaries visiting the country.

The framework has been prepared in the wake of recent terrorist attacks on foreign nationals in different parts of the country. In this regard, separate security cells for the foreigners have been established at federal, provincial and district levels, according to the documents.

At the federal level, the Foreign Nationals Security Cell has been established under the interior ministry, while provincial foreign security cells will work at the provincial level. Police and special units will carry out security responsibilities for foreigners at the provincial and district levels.

Security cells will operate in Islamabad, all four provinces, as well as Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), to ensure the safety of foreigners, including diplomats, tourists, journalists, students, athletes, and religious pilgrims.

The documents suggest that armed forces will be called for the security of high-ranking personalities, adding that the government agencies, sponsoring travel by the foreigners, will nominate focal persons for security arrangements.

The security arrangements of tourists and foreign journalists will be the responsibility of the tourism department, which will monitor the security of foreign diplomats, tourists, journalists, students, athletes and religious pilgrims.