ISLAMABAD: Faced with a dearth of funds, state-of-the-art equipment as well as the skilled manpower needed to secure one of the most sensitive areas in the capital, the security of the Diplomatic Enclave has been outsourced to the diplomatic mission of a major Western country, sources in the police department told Dawn.

In the past, the police had been receiving financial assistance from various foreign missions and embassies housed inside the enclave.

The enclave has five gates, none of which were built using government funds, the including police or Capital Development Authority (CDA).

“Now, all five gates will be equipped with modern equipment that is far more effective at detecting explosives,” police officials said, adding that these had been provided by the foreign mission as well.

Since local police were not trained to operate the equipment, the embassy arranged for those on security detail to be trained in the use of the equipment, the officials said, adding that the staff’s salaries were also being paid by the diplomatic mission in question.

Specially trained security staff are now guarding the gates of the enclave round the clock.

All vehicles entering the area are now scanned by the equipment installed at the gates, sources said.

In addition, personnel from the capital police are also deployed at all gates and manually record the details of all visitors and their vehicles, they added.

When asked for comment, Inspector General Tahir Alam Khan did not confirm or deny the report, saying only that local policemen were on hand to inspect all vehicles entering the enclave.

Sources, however, identified several key areas of concern with regards to the enclave’s security.The expansive nature of the enclave made it a difficult area to protect completely, since it is accessible from several sides, they said. There is a dense forest area between the Kashmir Highway and the enclave, which is frequented by scavengers and locals who come to fire wood there.

The walls of the enclave are not high enough to guard against intruders and there is only one guard tower in the area, so anyone who wants to conduct surveillance of the area can do so easily, they said.

The enclave is bordered on one side by the Prime Minister’s House. A water collection point near Gate 9 of Prime Minister House opens that area up for people from Bari Imam. Conseuquently, anyone there can easily access both the enclave and the wall of PM House.

To the north, a nullah runs from the Narola village and Muslim Colony, through the enclave and into Rawal Dam, which could also be a potential security risk.

Moreover, policemen deployed at check posts around the area only checked vehicles and did not subject passing pedestrians to much scrutiny.

Published in Dawn, November 28th, 2014