GILGIT: The federal government has approved the establishment of a special protection unit in Gilgit-Baltistan for providing security to foreigners working on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project, said GB home secretary Bilal Ahmad Memon on Thursday.

The home secretary told reporters here that the appointment of 700 security personnel and release of Rs2.66 billion had been approved for the CPEC special protection unit.

He said the country’s enemies were hatching conspiracies against the CPEC project but those conspiracies would be foiled through excellent security measures.

Mr Memon said the prime minister had also approved the purchase of bulletproof vehicles for GB Chief Minister Hafeezur Rehman and Governor Mir Gazanfar Ali Khan for their security.

Home secretary says registration, regulation of seminaries underway

He said the National Action Plan on security was being strictly implemented in the region.

The home secretary said registration and regulation of seminaries in the region was underway.

He said unregistered seminaries would be registered until the end of the current month.

Mr Memon said all deputy commissioners in the region had been directed to collect the data of seminaries in their respective areas and send it to the interior ministry by the end of the current month.

He said nonprofit organisations and international nongovernmental organisations in the region were being monitored.

“The registration of many fake NGOs has been cancelled for violation of the relevant laws. The INGOs have to secure NOC from the interior ministry to operate in GB,” he said.

The home secretary said investigation into the operations of NGOs and INGOs in the region was underway and final report about it would be submitted to the Apex Committee in the next meeting.

He said security of jails in the region had been enhanced to foil possible terrorism activity, while work on the new jail would be completed by June next.

SPECIAL FLIGHTS: The Pakistan International Airlines has decided to operate direct flights from Lahore and Karachi to Gilgit-Baltistan to promote tourism activities in the region.

The decision was made during a meeting between adviser to the prime minister on aviation Sardar Mahtab Ahmad Khan and GB chief secretary Dr Kazim Niaz in Islamabad on Thursday. The GB finance secretary, high officials of the Aviation Division were also present on the occasion.

According a news release issued by the PIA here said the airline would offer special weekend and holiday packages to tourists for those flights.

The meeting decided that the PIA would collaborate with GB tourism department to promote tourist activities in the region.

Mr Sardar Mahtab said the government would take all possible measures to promote tourism in the region.

Published in Dawn, October 6th, 2017