RAWALPINDI, Feb 19: In a move to enhance security of foreigners and counter terrorism by foreign elements, the federal government has established a special cell in the ministry of interior to deal with the scrutiny of foreigners working or residing in Pakistan.

An official source told Dawn that all the law enforcement and intelligence agencies have been directed to share information with the cell to ensure the security of foreigners working on different projects in the country.

The federal government has also directed the provincial governments to prepare data of foreigners, including their nationality, visa status and names of their firms with which they have been working. The provincial governments have been asked to send complete data of foreigners to the ministry of interior.

The government of Punjab has been directed to upgrade security for the 456 foreigners working on 70 projects in the province, official source told Dawn. The source said that as part of the security plan, police and private guards had been deployed at the residences and working places of foreigners. They have also been asked to keep either police or private guards while travelling.

The directives were given at a recent top level meeting in which the law and order situation of all the provinces was reviewed. In detailed discussions about the law and order situation in Punjab, officials said the situation was not 'appreciable' but only 'satisfactory'.

However, the participants were informed that the Punjab government had taken some important steps to counter terrorism and improve the law and order situation. It included the monitoring of heinous crime cases and sectarian activists.