PESHAWAR, Aug 23: The federal government intends to establish a diplomatic enclave in Peshawar for consular missions and international organisations in view of the growing security problem in the city.

The foreign affairs ministry had recently approached the Frontier government for acquiring at least 150 acres in a suitable locality in the provincial capital for setting up the diplomatic enclave, official sources told Dawn.

There are seven consular missions and several international organisations based in Peshawar, which are mostly housed on rented premises.

Justifying the move for housing the foreign missions in one enclave, the foreign ministry argued that the missions, landlords, neighbours and government agencies often complained about disputes, non-availability of utility services and mainly security.

The presence of consular missions in commercial and residential areas was causing inconvenience to the public, it said.

Quoting a letter sent by the foreign ministry to the NWFP chief secretary, the sources said the United States embassy in Islamabad had approached the ministry for assistance in allotment of land for construction of a permanent building for the US consular mission in Peshawar. Currently, the consular missions are located in the city’s cantonment area, where unprecedented security arrangements have been made. The roads leading to the cantonment have been closed for traffic for the past couple of years, causing inconvenience to people and the issue has also been debated in the provincial assembly.Other countries having missions in Peshawar also wanted to acquire land for their permanent presence in the city, the letter maintained. The ministry expressed the apprehension that random acquisition of land by the countries concerned would lead to spreading of foreign missions with problems of security.

It said the number of foreign missions in Peshawar was likely to increase in view of its geo-strategic importance and provision for housing up to 25 missions in the enclave should be made.