September 23, 2008	Tuesday	Ramazan 22, 1429

KARACHI, Sept 22: The Sindh government has decided to beef up security at the under-construction US consulate building on Mai Kolachi Bypass and the American School in KDA Scheme No 1, it has been learnt.

Sources said US Consul-General Kay Anske called on the home secretary of Sindh, Arif Ahmed Khan, on Monday to tell him about the threatening letters received at the American consulate. She also gave a letter to the home secretary and requested him to take necessary measures to provide security to the under-construction consulate building.

This request was made to the Sindh government specifically as the US officials used to visit the building site for the supervision of the work and it was already in the knowledge of relevant people that the American and Turkish firms were carrying out the construction.

It is also learnt that Ms Anske also stressed the need for taking fool-proof security measures at the American School situated in KDA Scheme No-1, from where Frontier Constabulary personnel posted there as security guards were withdrawn recently.

Following a suicide bomber detonated a dumper truck loaded with 600 kilograms of explosives at the Marriot Hotel in the most secure zone in Islamabad, killing 53 people and wounding scores of people, including foreigners, the Sindh government already took measures to tighten security around foreign consulates and foreigners, American and British citizens in particular.

It is learnt that the home department had directed the inspector-general of police, the director-general of Rangers and the capital city police officer for taking necessary measures to ensure fool-proof security of US diplomats and the under-construction US consulate building and also to further tighten the security around the American School.

The government is also planning to install close-circuit cameras on the Mai Kolachi Bypass to keep a watch on the movement of people on the road.