New Delhi: A batch of about eight CISF
personnel are in Islamabad as "escorts" for the Indian High
Commission after having undergone special training.
Union Home Ministry sources said the CISF had
shortlisted about 20 personnel for being deputed to Islamabad
as "escorts".
All the personnel are below the age of 34 and had been
shortlisted after going through extensive screening, the
sources said adding that while eight have already reached
Islamabad, the rest were currently undergoing training.
While officials said the jawans are there for performing
the duty of drivers, sources said they have been trained to
act as real-time commandos in case of any emergency.
The move to deploy CISF men as drivers in Islamabad comes
at a time when there have been security apprehensions in
various Missions in Pakistan including that of India.
Five persons, including an Iraqi national, were killed
and six others injured when a suicide bomber disguised as a
security officer struck at the UN food agency's office in
Islamabad on Monday even as officials warned of more such
attacks in the coming weeks.
Though security of the High Commission is the Pakistan
government's responsibility, sources said since the drivers
belong to a paramilitary force, it is natural for them to be
trained in all spheres of work including combat training.
Most foreign missions in Islamabad, including the Indian
High Commission, have imported several bullet-proof cars for
their senior diplomats after a surge in deadly attacks by the
Taliban in the past two years.
CISF commandos currently protect diplomats in the Indian
embassy in Kathmandu while ITBP personnel are deployed to
guard embassy officials in Afghanistan.
Bureau Report
First Published: Thursday, October 08, 2009, 00:56