June 06, 2008	Friday	Jamadi-us-Sani 01, 1429

ISLAMABAD, June 5: Security is being beefed up for diplomats in the city after European Union envoys told the government that the terrorist attack on the Danish embassy was “an attack on the whole diplomatic community”.

Adviser to the prime minister on interior Rehman Malik ordered 2,000 extra paramilitary forces to be deployed from Friday for the safety of foreign missions after listening to the EU envoys who met him at his office on Thursday.

The deployment of FC personnel in Islamabad will be started from Friday.

The envoys demanded enhancing of their security in the backdrop of the bomb blast outside the Danish embassy that claimed the lives of eight people on Monday.

They expressed concern over the security situation in a high-level meeting with the prime minister’s adviser on interior.

The meeting was attended by diplomats of about 19 countries, including Denmark, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Greece, Holland, Austria, Hungary, Poland and Ireland as well as the head of the EU Commission in Islamabad.

Mr Malik instructed the law enforcement agencies to improve and strengthen the existing security and directed top police officials to meet each ambassador separately to assess their security requirements and ensure compliance.

A dedicated telephone line will be established in the ministry in 48 hours, which would be used only for diplomats in case of any requirement.

The adviser told the ambassadors to take up their issues with the Capital Development Authority regarding provision of land for embassies, which were not located in the Diplomatic Enclave. He further assured them that he would hold another meeting with them within a month to review progress on the decisions.

Sources in the CDA said some 40 foreign missions were located in the highly secure Diplomatic Enclave but 25 others, including the Danish embassy, had not established their missions in the enclave despite the fact that they had been allotted plots for this purpose many years ago.

The CDA is also establishing another diplomatic enclave beside the present one but it would take a year or so to complete the project.

Following the briefing, the adviser called IGP Asghar Raza Gardezi and chief commissioner Hamid Ali Khan to the ministry and directed them to declare high alert in Islamabad with special reference to security of diplomats.

The officials complained about shortage of police personnel and said with the present force security of diplomats could not be enhanced. On this Mr Malik directed the Frontier Constabulary chief to send 2,100 personnel to assist the local administration to beef up security of foreign missions and diplomats.