Security in Islamabad: growing number of foreigners posing challenge to agencies

Despite a highly disturbed security situation, the number of foreigners is said to be not only growing in the federal capital but also contributing towards increased security challenges.
According to sources in the interior ministry, an increase in their numbers during present times is a highly disturbing factor for the law enforcement agencies because a number of terror attacks committed over the past many weeks and months in the capital and the adjoining towns, particularly Rawalpindi, which is also known as a garrison town, have strongly indicated the involvement of foreign elements.
"Their explicit and implicit involvement in some terror attacks has underscored the need to first determine the exact number of foreigners, their origins, and to ascertain whether or not they have valid documents for stay in Pakistan," the sources said.
Faizi, a professor of Shariah Law at the International Islamic University together with two male and seven female students of Afghan origin were arrested by law enforcement agencies on the 5th of November on charges of being complicit in the twin suicide attacks on the University on 20 October.
The twin blasts killed 4 students and one waiter who sacrificed his life and saved many by not allowing the suicide attacker inside the crowded cafeteria. Sources in intelligence agencies revealed exclusively to this correspondent that professor Faizi is a known associate of Gulbadin Hekmatyar, the rebel military commander during the 1980s Soviet war in Afghanistan, who has been living in Iran for the past many years.
At present, there are in excess of a dozen Afghans residents at a place, adjacent to Faisal Mosque. Two residents, both of Afghan origin, have been seen consorting with 'foreigners' in a nearby katchi abadi. However, the identity of 'foreigners' could not be established. Law enforcement agencies are fully aware of considerable stockpile of arms and ammunition in that Afghan neighbourhood and in the uninhabited foothills of Margalla Hills behind the hostel.
When this correspondent asked the agencies why action has not been taken to seize the stockpile one highly placed source in a sensitive agency replied on condition of anonymity, "we had mounted an operation to capture the stockpiles and arrest the suspected terrorists however we abandoned the idea at the eleventh hour because we feared that it may be exploited in the event that there were casualties and detentions to give Pakistani law enforcement agencies a bad name the world over."
There are at present 284 houses that are rented out to 'foreigners' mainly of US origin, according to several of the house owners that this correspondent contacted. According to details 69 houses were rented out by foreigners in F-6, sector, 85 houses in F-7, 62 houses in F-8, 15 houses in F-11, 12 houses in E-7, 38 houses in G-6 and three houses in I-8 of the capital.
A local security company namely, Wackenhut, has the contract to provide security to all the 284 houses in different sectors of Islamabad and their guards are deployed at these houses. This company is one of four recommended by the Overseas Security Advisory Council, US Department of State on diplomatic security on its website.
Sources also revealed that there are reports of involvement of Afghans in terrorist activities in different parts of the country particularly the recent Peshawar Meena Bazar suicide blast in which 118 people were killed and Rawalpindi Shalimar suicide blast (yards away from GHQ of Pakistan Army) in which 35 people were killed.
Sources also blame 'foreigners' for the attacks on military officers in Islamabad. This correspondent was informed by eye witnesses that the motorcycle attacks on brigadiers in Islamabad was followed by a Hilux pickup swallowing both the riders and the motorcycle involved in these attacks.
What is extremely worrisome is that foreigners from the Western hemisphere as well as from our neighbouring countries appear to have contacts with each other, the sources added. Sunday last 25 Americans arrived at Islamabad airport at 08:25.
The flight was PK 786 and it was a direct flight from London. Airport security was not visible and the 25 men were provided their own security by some 'foreigners'. Eye witnesses informed this correspondent that those 'foreigners' providing security had American accents.