DERA GHAZI KHAN: Unaware of ban on entrance of foreigners into Dera Ghazi Khan, foreign tourists time and again face unexpected situation.

Dera Ghazi Khan is situated on the confluence of boundaries of Balochistan and the NWFP and it is a transit city for the foreign tourists, especially those who are from Iran and Afghanistan.

The strategic sensitivity of the district because of uranium enrichment plants is out of bounds for foreigners and the authorities of Balochistan, Punjab and the NWFP do not inform the foreigners about the ban.

Under the prevailing law and order situation of the district, especially after the launch of military operation in the adjacent South Waziristan, the encounters of border military police with foreigners at the provincial boundary of Balochistan are creating panic among personnel and the public.

Recently, German tourist Andris coming from Iran to Punjab via Balochistan was intercepted at the provincial check-post of Bewata only to be sent back to Quetta.

Mr Andris told Dawn that he was unaware of the ban and now he would have to travel to Quetta to adopt another route to reach the Indian border near Lahore.

Commandant of the Border military police Tariq Bukhari said it was responsibility of immigration authorities to direct the tourists not to use the Dera-Quetta Road.