Following the terror attack at dockyard, Karachi Fish Harbour Authority (KFHA) now seeks help from Pakistan Navy and Rangers to guard the harbour against the looming threats, fisheries sources said on Wednesday. "The KFHA continued to call for airtight security across the harbour and send formal requests to PN and Rangers to deploy their personnel at the harbour," they added.
The KFHA also sent request to the provincial government to provide it with security gadgets to screen all kind of vehicular and pedestrian movements into the harbour. "The technology will not only boost up security for fish harbour but also other closely located sensitive navigational channel and land routes," they hoped.
Talking to Business Recorder, Director Operation Karachi Fish Harbour Authority (KFHA), Zahoor Hussain Abbasi, said the Sindh government had earmarked a Rs 60 million to help the authority to increase security at harbour. He said that the authority would receive the main tranche during this fiscal year. however, he said, the authority cannot solely handle the growing terror and law and order threats.
"Rangers are expected to take over security of the harbour since the KFHA repeatedly asked the law enforcers to help the authority improve its security," he said. He said that the KFHA's security plan was primarily aimed at ensuring security levels at the harbour against all kind of threats. "The KFHA will first raise the level of harbour's boundary walls, install CCTV cameras, set up watch towers etc," he said.
Officials told Business Recorder that Pakistan Navy, when it took over fisheries harbour in 1999, brought key changes and implemented all rules strictly which not only gave a good look to the facilities there but also held every official accountable to perform duties. "We need such a disciplined environment at fish harbour which the Navy had set up during its short administrative rule," they said, adding that the political intervention in harbour's affairs led to Navy's withdrawal from its administration.
According to the sources, the KFHA seeks help from the Navy, Rangers and government authorities to make the harbour security watertight amid fears of bomb blasts and gunfire incidents may occur. An internal dispatch of KFHA said the government should equip the authority's security officials with metal detectors and explosive screening devices to guard the harbour's gates against the threats.
At present, the country's largest fisheries harbour lacks a fire fighting system, as the authority has to seek help from other government organisations that possess the fire extinguishing capabilities. The dispatch also proposes inside and outside security patrolling across the harbour to prevent terrorist attacks, besides a strict vigilance around the harbour key installations.
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