DAWN.COM

RECENTLY foreign elements have been found involved in terrorist activities in Pakistan, besides attack on Mehran air base in Karachi and now attack on Peshawar airport. With such high-profile examples and involvement of Afghan refugees in street crimes and kidnapping cases in Karachi, it is time the government cracked down on all such refugee settlements and deported every single foreign refugee on our soil.

Pakistan has a plethora of its own security issues and the presence of such people in our country further poses a threat to national security. Refugees need to go and they need to be sent to their countries as early as possible.

ARSALAN FARUQI    
Karachi

Military installations

IT is rather unfortunate knowing that the enemy is knocking us down in every nook and cranny of the country, but we have not prepared any proper strategy to protect our vital installations.

The militants have proved beyond any doubt that they are capable of hitting any target of their choice. After the attack on PNS Mehran we once again resorted to erecting a few more barricades and checkposts and bolster security arrangements by deploying extra manpower, but enemy continues to hit us unhindered.

The majority of defence installations are in proximity to civil areas, thus posing greatest danger to the installations. The British had located all cantonments away from city areas from the defence point of view. We violated their standard operating procedures and entered into commercialisation, compromising the security aspect.

Although it is not possible now to relocate airports, we can certainly move military installations away to safer places. Be it military installations in Peshawar, Karachi or Lahore, they are vulnerable from all directions and a determined militant can penetrate them any time.

We have to form a proper strategy to safeguard our military installations which are otherwise heavily guarded by our troops.

The present practice of allowing vehicles close to terminal buildings pose a great threat to these installations.

To ensure security of airports, the incoming vehicles must be checked at least half a mile from the main airport with just one entry point but the exit may have more points. Outer parameters should be properly mined because walls can be scaled any time. There is a basic principle of fight when you cannot employ more people, cover the area with firepower.

The government must make efforts to move out all the installations away from city centres.

The army has no business to be in the city. The majority of funds is being spent on erecting walls, barricades, establishing extra checkposts for individual safety while ignoring the safety of the public.

Erecting new barricades, creating obstacles, deployment of additional troops are all temporary measures. It only adds to problems of the people. We have to look for a lasting solution as far as security of the people is concerned.

We need to put in place security measures that are less inconvenient to the public and at the same time are more effective. The elite, however, need to spend less on their security because it leaves little amount to be spent on the people.

M. AHMED
Karachi