The Ministry of Interior (MoI) has directed all provinces to ensure foolproof security for the foreigners engaged in relief activities in flood affected areas of the country, it is learnt.
Besides, the governments of all the provinces have also been instructed to recheck the visits of diplomats, foreign journalists and representatives of foreign-funded NGOs in the flood hit areas with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for their proper monitoring, sources said.
The move is aimed at ensuring foolproof security and proper monitoring of all foreigners visiting the country so that they could be provided with proper security in the areas badly affected by the floods so that no untoward incident should take place, they added. Diplomats, representatives of NGOs and journalists of the international media are visiting the flood affected areas in the country, and providing them with adequate security was the government's responsibility, they said, adding that it had also been observed that the provincial governments were directly arranging visit of the foreign missions, without informing the law enforcement agencies.
Under the Standard Operating Procedure, a foreign diplomat or mission applies to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for permission to visit any part of the country, they said, adding that after obtaining clearance from all concerned quarters, the missions are informed of the decision accordingly.
Moreover, sources said, the diplomats, members of foreign NGOs and journalists frequently visit the Sindh province to review performance of foreign-funded projects like Coastal Development Authority, Planning and Development Department, Monitoring and Evaluation Cell, Bureau of Statistics, Water Sector Improvement Project, Draught Emergency Relief Assistance (DERA), Sindh Growth and Rural Revitalisation Program, Community Development Project, etc. It is also expected that the visits of foreigners would increase in the coming days as the entire world is focusing to provide relief to the millions of people badly affected by the historic flash floods, sources added.