Pakistan to set up special police force to protect foreigners in Islamabad – Interior Minister
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani government will set up a special police force in Islamabad to protect foreigners, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said on Sunday, as it seeks to strengthen security for Chinese nationals in the country.
Naqvi’s remarks were made during a meeting with China’s ambassador to Pakistan, Jiang Zaidong, at the Chinese Embassy in Islamabad on Sunday, state-run Radio Pakistan said.
China is Pakistan’s main ally and investor, but separatists and religiously motivated militants have attacked Chinese projects and killed Chinese personnel in recent years.
The most recent attack targeting Chinese nationals occurred in March when a suicide bomber killed five Chinese workers as they were travelling to a Beijing-funded hydroelectric project under construction in Dasu, northwest China, when the attack hit their car.
“Mohsin Naqvi is a member of another unit, SPU [Special Protection Unit] “A special protection facility for the protection of foreigners will be set up in Islamabad,” Radio Pakistan said in a report.
The March blast was the third major attack in just over a week on Chinese interests in the South Asian country, where China has invested more than $65 billion in infrastructure, energy and other projects as part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
China has repeatedly urged Pakistan to protect its citizens in the country from militant attacks, and Islamabad has since taken steps to strengthen the security of Chinese nationals in the country.
According to state media, Naqvi briefed the Chinese envoy on safety plans for Chinese engineers and staff working on CPEC and other projects.
“The minister said no one can create a rift in the everlasting friendly relations between Pakistan and China and such plots will never be allowed to succeed,” Radio Pakistan reported.
The minister said the safety of Chinese nationals working in Pakistan’s construction and development was Islamabad’s top priority.
“The Chinese ambassador expressed satisfaction with the security arrangements,” Pakistan radio reported.
The southern Pakistani port city of Karachi has already formed a Special Police Unit (SPU) to ensure the safety of Chinese living in the city.
Sindh’s top police official earlier this week reviewed security measures for Chinese nationals in the southern Pakistani province.
