LAHORE: The Punjab government has warned the non-CPEC project managements to ensure availability of bulletproof vehicles for Chinese nationals within two days otherwise the non-compliant project, site or installation be shut down.

The Punjab home department in a letter to the DIG Special Protection Unit (SPU) on Thursday stated that the Punjab chief minister had early this month conveyed and desired to ensure arrangement of bulletproof vehicles regarding the movement of foreigners/Chinese nationals working on public as well as private non-CPEC projects.

In the aftermath of the recent militant attack on Chinese nationals in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz had earlier this month chaired a high-level security meeting and directed ensuring the safety of the Chinese nationals working at non-CPEC projects and installations in Punjab.

Formalising the chief minister’s direction, the home department had written a letter to the DIG SPU on April 2 stating, “As an inevitable part of the security measures, it has been accented that no external movement of the Chinese nationals shall be made without bulletproof vehicles”.

Hence, it was decided that managements of the non-CPEC projects and installations be given a two-week timeline to procure or arrange the bulletproof vehicles in consultation with the SPU.

The home department stressed that the DIG SPU should take up the matter with the projects’ managements urging them to procure or arrange the bulletproof vehicles for their respective projects for the safety and security of the Chinese nationals during the external movement.

The department had also made it clear that non-compliance on their part shall entail some harsh measures which may involve restricting the external movement. The home department had sought a compliance report within two weeks.

Sources in the home department told Dawn that some projects’ managements had acquired bulletproof vehicles on rent but still some gaps and violations had been reported.

The home department had also directed that the observance of security enablers at all the non-CPEC installations as stipulated in the interior ministry directions must be ensured so as to stave off any unpalatable incident.

In the latest communication to the DIG SPU, the home department has instructed that the projects’ managements should ensure availability of bulletproof vehicles either through purchase or on rental basis within two days, failing which the non-compliant project, site or installation would be closed.

Published in Dawn, April 28th, 2024