ICCI President for shifting embassies from F-6/2 and other residential areas as their security measures create great inconvenience for the residents

  • February 23, 2009
A delegation of the residents of Sector F-6/2, Islamabad called on Mian Shaukat Masud, President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry and apprised him of the problems being faced by them due to the high security measures taken for some foreign embassies in that area. They informed that to beef up security arrangements for foreign embassies in F-6/2 area, local administration has erected barriers and placed heavy blocks on the roads and this situation is creating great inconvenience in free movement of the residents. ICCI President expressed great concerns over this situation and demanded that CDA as well as the local administration should pay immediate attention to this problem for remedial measures to facilitate the mobility of people as well as vehicles in that area.

Mian Shaukat Masud said people and students have to suffer a lot due to these barriers and blocks on roads which create difficulties for them and said that embassies should be shifted from this area so that residents may not face any problems due to their existence in residential areas.  He said as many as 37 embassies and foreign missions were functioning in residential areas and emphasized upon the CDA & local administration to immediately arrange their relocation from residential areas to the Diplomatic Enclave. He also assured the delegation members that CDA and local administration high officials will be invited to ICCI and this matter will taken up with them for early remedial measures of this problem.

ICCI President said Pakistan is confronting security threats from militants and extremists and in these conditions beefing up the security arrangements for embassies and foreign missions becomes more essential. However, such arrangements in residential areas create lot of problems for the residents in their smooth mobility while business activities of commercial centers in such areas are also badly affected. Therefore, he stressed upon the need of shifting all embassies and foreign missions from residential areas to Diplomatic Enclave so that foreign diplomats could feel a well secured environment while the local residents could also get rid of the difficulties being faced by them due to existence of embassies in residential areas.