MITHI: A meeting of army, police, Rangers, intelligence and other law enforcement agencies’ officials held at the Tharparkar deputy commissioner’s office on Friday under the chairmanship of Mirpurkhas Commissioner Shafiq Ahmed Mahesar discussed a comprehensive plan to ensure safety and security of Chinese and other foreign nationals working on different projects in the district.

Commissioner Mahesar stressed the need for setting up a coordination desk and seek adequate funds from the authorities concerned to ensure foolproof security at and around the Thar coal power project as well as the sites and routes of the projects being executed under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

The commissioner advised the army and Rangers’ officials to work out a security plan in consultation with Tharparkar DC Dr Abdul Hafeez Siyal and SSP Ameer Saud Magsi so that recommendations could be prepared and forwarded to the authorities concerned.

SPP Magsi informed the meeting that Tharparkar had been witnessing hectic development activity as well as movement of foreign professionals over the past few years. He said deployment of adequate number of security personnel across the district had become necessary to avert any untoward incident considering security challenges vis-a-vis CPEC.

He said a one-acre piece of land should be spared to build a Police Line in the Thar coalfield area, police stations at and around sensitive installations and pickets along the routes of foreign and local professionals, workers and other people concerned with various projects. Besides, he added, electricity through solar energy system should be provided to the area to facilitate operation of the security plan and stay of law enforcers and their families in the Police Line.

SSP Magsi observed that there was no security threat at the moment but a plan must be kept ready as deployment of adequate force at and around the coalfields and installations would have to be made at any stage.

DC Dr Siyal told the meeting that there was an increasing demand for security of coalfield professionals and workers as well as essential facilities for them and the area people. He said that the Thar coal project was a major part of CPEC and, as such, the provincial government and district administration were working out their own plans to ensure safety and security of every person engaged in the development activity.

The commissioner held out the assurance that the security issue would be taken up with the higher authorities.

Published in Dawn, October 14th, 2017