GILGIT: Minister for Interior Rana Sanaullah visited the Diamer-Bhasha dam project on Monday and reviewed security arrangements made to facilitate smooth construction work at the site.

The federal government has decided to beef up security at important government installations after security threats to the Chinese citizens working on development projects in the country.

The minister’s visit was aimed at assessing the overall security scenario on the mega multi-purpose dam project, which is of vital significance for the national development in the years ahead.

Water and Power Dev­elopment Authority (Wap­da) Chairman retired Lt Gen Sajjad Ghani and Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Secretary Mohyuddin Ahmad Wani briefed the interior minister on the security arrangements put in place for the protection of people, including Chinese, working on the dam project.

Mr Wani informed the minister that 190 policemen have been attached with the Diamer-Bhasha Dam Task Force despite severe shortage of security personnel in the district. He said that in order to improve the security situation in GB, a request for creation of 700 posts in the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) had already been submitted to federal finance division. He also requested for creation of additional 400 posts, especially for Diamer district.

The interior minister assured the GB chief secretary that the matter would be taken up with the prime minister this week to get his approval. He said the scheduled completion of Diamer-Bhasha dam is directly linked with a safe and congenial environment at the project sites, and that can only be made possible by enforcing well-thought-out and coherent security plans in the project area.

Earlier, the minister reviewed construction activities and security arrangements at the project’s site.

Published in Dawn, February 14th, 2023