ISLAMABAD, June 19: The delivery of five armed helicopters and three fixed wings planes by the United States for the surveillance of Pakistan’s western borders has been delayed till next month, an official source said.
These planes were supposed to reach here by middle of June but because of certain unknown reasons the delivery of the planes and helicopters has been delayed.
The US authorities have indicated that the much needed equipment to check illegal movements across Pakistan’s western borders would now reach here by mid of July, the source said.
The United States, whose forces are directly involved in tracking down remnants of Al Qaeda and Taliban along Pakistan’s western borders, had promised to provide the equipment earlier this year.
The agreement, involving a total amount of $73 million, was signed in Washington during a visit of Interior Minister Moinuddin Haider.
Meanwhile, delivery of other equipment, including 150 motorcycles, four-wheel-drive vehicles and other communication equipment had begun, the source said.
International tenders for procurement of four-wheel-drive vehicles had already been floated and the orders for the purchase of 150 motorcycles had been placed, the source said.
Frontier Constabulary of NWFP and Balochistan have been directed to prepare reports for setting up checkpoints on the border. Under the programme several border checkpoints with an estimated cost of one million dollars each, would be established all along the 2500-kilometre-long border with Afghanistan.
