The Senate took serious notice of delay in shifting of some 35 diplomatic missions and international organisations from residential areas of Federal Capital to Diplomatic Enclave and asked Senate's standing committee on interior to come up with some recommendations.
The Senate's standing committee on interior has been told on Monday to formulate a strategy regarding shifting of embassies and residences of diplomats to Diplomatic Enclave. The meeting would review the existing number of diplomatic missions and residences of diplomats, residing in residential areas of Federal Capital, besides taking details from the local administration on updated position and steps regarding their shifting to Diplomatic Enclave.
In the meeting, presentation on findings of the inquiry committee, constituted under the chairmanship of Chief Commissioner Islamabad regarding rented houses in the residential areas of Islamabad by foreign missions and other international organisations.
It has been learnt that some 35 embassies and foreign missions were functioning in residential areas. Due to functioning of foreign missions, embassies and their offices in residential areas, people have been facing numerous problems including security threats, said an official of Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industries.
The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has already informed the Upper House of the Parliament that it is the domain of Foreign Office to pursue the matter with embassies and foreign missions to shift their offices to Diplomatic Enclave. The total area of existing Diplomatic Enclave is 795.28 acres. There are a total 56 plots allotted to embassies, 35 are lying vacant despite many embassies have constructed their own buildings in Diplomatic Enclave.
The Senate's standing committee on interior expressed its concern over functioning of embassies, foreign missions and their attached offices in residential areas of the Capital. The committee meeting, chaired by Senator Talha Mehmood, formed a sub-committee to take up the issue with the Foreign Office and embassies to ensure their relocation from residential areas to the Diplomatic Enclave.
The embassies and foreign missions, functioning in residential areas, include embassies of Algeria, Norway, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Syria, Hungary, Denmark, Ukraine, Turkmenistan, Philippines, Belgium, Sudan, Oman, Libya, Brazil, Romania, Afghanistan, Thailand, Bangladesh, Australia, Holland, Portugal and Portugal (Chancery), British Council, Greece and visa office, Republic of Northern Cyprus, Vietnam, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Finland and Latvia, UNDP and UNO.
Embassies of Australia, Sweden, Malaysia and Holland have constructed their own buildings in Diplomatic Enclave but still functioning in residential areas. When asked Ambassador of Brazil to Pakistan, he said that space for any foreign mission in countries are given on reciprocal basis. In case of Brazil, Brazilian government has allocated precious land to Pakistani mission. In return, they had been allocated a small peace of land in Diplomatic Enclave which does not cater to their need. "The matter of allocation of additional land is pending with foreign office", he said.
The CDA has also been working on development of an area of 788.40 acres for extension of Diplomatic Enclave. The Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Police had taken number of measures for the security of Diplomatic Enclave, foreign missions and their offices.
All foreign missions located outside Diplomatic Enclave had been converted into Enclosed Restricted Area (ERA) thus ensuring security. There are 70 points on which 280 jawans of Frontier Constabulary have been deployed, and persons and vehicles entering in the area are thoroughly checked and verified. Another, 104 jawans are guarding the residence of diplomats located outside Diplomatic Enclave at 26 different points.