Can’t provide security to all Chinese nationals; better to hire private security firms: Pakistan’s Punjab government
Pakistan has ordered the Chinese nationals to engage private companies for security after a suicide bomber tore apart a mosque at Peshawar’s Police Lines, killing almost 100 people, mostly policemen, on Monday, according to the news source Dawn.
According to Dawn, the home department and police met on Thursday to discuss the safety of Chinese nationals working on public and private projects in the province.
According to Dawn, the SPU hired 3,336 security guards, 187 drivers, 20 wireless operators, 244 former soldiers in the ranks of senior security guard to chief security officer, and seven former army officers in the ranks of additional director and deputy director.
Keeping in view the job requirement, the personnel were imparted six months rigorous training at four police training schools by professional trainers.
Currently, 7,567 Chinese workers at four CPEC and 27 non-CPEC projects in the province are being protected by 3,829 officers and employees of the SPU and 2,552 attached people from districts.
SPU DIG Agha Yousuf added that the security of the Chinese personnel working on government projects had been strengthened further as a result of an increase in terrorist incidents in the nation.
Yousuf also said that although the government could not deploy SPU officers everywhere and that it could not afford to pay for the security of Chinese citizens working for private enterprises, it did pay for the protection of those who worked on government projects.
