Steps taken to protect NGOs, missions: US war on Iraq -DAWN

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March 20, 2003	Thursday	Muharram 16, 1424

Steps taken to protect NGOs, missions: US war on Iraq

Bureau Report

PESHAWAR, March 19: The police and other law-enforcement agencies have chalked out a plan to provide security to foreign missions and NGOs in the city during the impending US attack on Iraq.

“Security measures have been stepped up to counter any possible violent reaction against foreigners, foreign missions and NGOs,” chief of city police Tanveer-ul-Haq Sipra told Dawn here on Wednesday.

He said the police had set up another sandbags bunker in front of the US consulate in the city and extra security would be provided to the British Council and foreign NGOs in case of an emergency.

The city police had set up sandbags bunker and parked an armoured personnel carrier (APC) outside the main entry of American consulate before the US attack on Afghanistan. Before that the police had put barriers on roads leading to the US consulate.

The special branch of police has been directed to maintain a vigil on the activities of suspicious persons during the US war against Iraq, sources in police said.

The police had issued instructions to the managements of hotels and inns in the city to maintain proper records of their guests during the month of Muharram. “And they were again issued the same instructions before the US attack on Iraq,” they added.

“We have drawn up an evacuation and hibernation plans during a meeting of all the foreign NGOs in Peshawar on Wednesday,” administration officer of UNHCR, William Tarpai, told Dawn on telephone.

He said the UNHCR had good coordination and liaison with the city law-enforcement agencies with whom meetings were held regularly to discuss the security situation.

“Whenever the situation arises we will request to the government for further security,” he maintained.

According to the sources, every foreign NGO has selected proper place for evacuation in case the situation warrants. The UNHCR would provide space for evacuation to those foreign NGO workers which have no evacuation site, they added.