Islamabad, July 20: US assistance to Pakistan for its war on terror will soon cross a hefty US dollars one billion, besides helicopters, surveillance aircraft for patrolling border with Afghanistan and computerised immigration monitoring systems.
The US administration will be providing USD 30 mn to beef up security at the Pak-Afghan border. This amount is in addition to already received USD 73 million for the security at Pak-Afghan border," interior minister Moinudeen Haider told reporters yesterday. Five helicopters received from the US have been patrolling the Pak-Afghan border in southwestern Balochistan to check any illegal infiltration into Pakistan.
"Three surveillance aircraft would also be provided by the US by October to beef up security at the common borders with Afghanistan as part of the ongoing war against terrorism," he said. He said 10 Pakistani pilots have gone to the US for training to fly these latest versions of the American aircraft equipped with latest surveillance system.
Computerised immigration system would be set up with US help at Pakistan's international airports by October this year as part of the strict security check. The system has already been introduced at Karachi Airport. "With the cooperation of the US authorities, the government has been introducing a latest monitoring and security system for immigration. This includes entries of the suspected terrorists in the software," the minister said.
Gradually computerised immigration system would be installed at all the entry points into Pakistan including land, see and air, he said.
Bureau Report