Secrity beefed up for Nato supplies in Pakistan Peshawar

Four platoons of police have been deployed to secure Nato terminals from the attackers coming from adjacent tribal areas while four patrolling cars of Quick Response Force of the Frontier Constabulary were placed for immediate action in case of emergency, with setting up coordination and command cell at the Balahisar Fort.

“Army would also patrol the Ring Road to counter any future attack on 16 Nato terminals located on both sides of the route, which connects Khyber Agency with Peshawar,” revealed in a presentation given by senior police authorities to the NWFP government functionaries while clarifying their stance over poor law and order in the province.

The parking bays that are located on Ring Road include Pak-Afghan Terminal, Waqas Terminal, Khyber P Terminal, Bilal-I, II, III Terminals, Faisal Terminal, Insaf Terminal, Pak-Kabul Terminal, Rahman Baba Terminal, World Port Logistics, Sindh Terminal, Khatoot Terminal, Farah Zaman Terminal, UF-2 Terminal and Digro Terminal.

Over 300 military vehicles, including Humvees, trailers, cranes and containers filled with expensive goods were reduced to ashes in six attacks on these parking lots between December 1 and 13. Three people including two drivers and a watchman were killed and three other wounded in these attacks.

The terminals that came under attack during these incidents were identified as World Port Logistics, Bilal Terminal, Farah Terminal and Faisal Terminal.

Convoys of Nato supplies were also attacked on a number of occasions in Jamrud while on way to Afghanistan. The goods taken away from these containers, including pistols, rifles, jackets, fuel, shoes, food, tents and other goods were being sold openly in many tribal areas. Complete parts of three helicopters being transshipped in containers were reportedly hijacked by the militants a many months back.

A head constable with eight constables have been deployed at critical terminals while police vans patrol the nine-kilometer stretch to avoid any future attack on logistics being transported for the Allied Forces fighting against Taliban in Afghanistan.

The police authorities have admitted militants’ attack on terminals was part of a bigger problem which is because of the situation in Khyber Agency, Frontier Region Peshawar and FR Kohat. Proximity of terminals to adjacent tribal areas, open parking lots and terminals without boundary walls, poor lighting system, having no fire fighting system were described as the main reasons behind attacks on Nato terminals.

Senior police authorities have expressed their anger on a number of occasions over poor security arrangements made by the contractor to secure costly vehicles and goods. There is no proper arrangement made by the contractors to secure the goods that they transship from Karachi to Jalalabad via Peshawar and Khyber Agency.

Truckers, associated with the Khyber Transport Association, had decided to stop supply to the American-led Allied Forces in Afghanistan in a bid to secure their lives and vehicles in frequent attacks on Nato logistics.

The government had to launch a military operation in Jamrud sub division of Khyber Agency to secure the main supply route for Nato forces that was being used by over 400 supply trucks every days.

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