Sindh sets up security cell for Chinese, other foreigners

In order to collect data on foreign nationals in Sindh, particularly the Chinese people, and to provide them security, the provincial government has established a Foreign Security Cell at the Chief Police Office (CPO) in Karachi with its 31 branches in all district headquarters.

This emerged on Friday in a meeting held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah at the CM House. The meeting was attended by Law Adviser Murtaza Wahab, Chief Secretary Sohail Rajput, Home Secretary Saeed Mangnejo, IGP Ghulam Nabi Memon, Additional IG CTD Imran Yakoob Minhas, Additional IG Karachi Javed Odho, the deputy DG Rangers, the provincial heads of intelligence agencies and other officials concerned.

The CM said incidents like the Karachi University suicide attack on the Chinese teachers would not be allowed to happen again. “We have to strengthen the security of all foreign nationals, particularly the Chinese people working on CPEC and non-CPEC projects in the province,” he said and added he had given guidelines to the police and other law enforcement agencies to chalk out a detailed foolproof security plan.

Shah said the security of Chinese nationals working on CPEC and non-CPEC projects was a joint responsibility of all stakeholders. “Any incident threatening the security of Chinese nationals employed for various projects will have an impact at the national level,” he said and added the Karachi University incident highlighted the vulnerability of Chinese nationals’ security working on non-CPEC projects.

The CM was told that at present, eight CPEC projects were running in six districts of the province where around 4,000 Chinese people were working. In 2016, the police created a Special Protection Unit (SPU) to provide security cover to the CPEC projects based in Sindh.

The Sindh home secretary said the provincial police, Pakistan Army, Rangers, FC and private security guards had been providing security cover to the CPEC projects under the umbrella of the Special Security Division (SSD) in the light of the SOPs issued by NACTA (National Counter Terrorism Authority).

IGP Ghulam Nabi Memon said a Foreign Information Desk had also been established by the Special Branch at the Karachi airport to register the data of all foreign nationals, including Chinese. He added that the FIA had been requested to provide 40 dashboard terminals for entry/exit data of foreign nationals and it was yet to be done.

The CM was told that a well-coordinated security mechanism for Chinese security was being prepared. The prime minister had formulated a national action plan for the Chinese security, for which a task force had been constituted under the ministry of interior. He directed the IGP to keep the Chinese consulate in the loop for the proposed security arrangements and the compiling of the data in this regard.