ISLAMABAD: Out of security concerns, the government has placed limitations on the travel of foreign diplomats ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Heads of Government Council meeting next week.
On October 15 and 16, the CHG, the second-highest forum in the SCO, will meet in Islamabad.
The limitations, which are in effect for travel within and outside of the city, were announced by the Foreign Office. This is because security authorities are extremely vigilant in the wake of recent incidents that have targeted foreign nationals.
Although security officials have emphasized that the actions are required to safeguard the safety of all participants and other foreigners staying in the country, the Foreign Office remained silent on the precise measures.
According to diplomatic sources, the new limitations only permit them to travel for personal reasons inside the Diplomatic Enclave. The few occasions when diplomats are allowed to leave the enclave are for urgent official matters. Speaking under anonymity, one ambassador stated, “We have been advised to remain within the Diplomatic Enclave unless we are attending critical official engagements.”
Some diplomatic missions are located inside the enclave, and many diplomats live there, but there are also some that are outside its borders. This comprises a number of multinational organizations’ embassies and offices, and a sizable portion of ambassadors opt to reside outside the enclave.
The security crackdown comes in the wake of two concerning recent incidents in Pakistan that targeted foreign nationals. Two Chinese nationals were killed in an attack on a convoy of workers from a nearby power plant in Karachi on Sunday night. A police officer was killed in an attack that occurred last month near the Malam Jabba hill resort in Swat when a security van carrying foreign diplomats was accompanying them.
Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Iranian First Vice President Reza Aref, Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, and other leaders of member states are present at the SCO meeting. For this reason, the security services are committed to avoiding any disturbances.
In accordance with Article 245 of the Constitution, the government has stationed army personnel in Islamabad from October 5 to October 17.
The summit venue is located in the Red Zone, and access to it is severely limited. Important government buildings, foreign embassies, and other sensitive installations are located in this region.
